Bad woman, am I pretending to be bad?

"An invitation?" After a long pause, she parted her lips slightly, the last syllable carrying the coolness of mint leaves, "You mean the coded message written in the sap of seven cornflower petals in the crevices of the third page of the Florence Daily?"

"Perhaps you have misunderstood. I am not here because of your invitation, but because of the significance of this gathering itself."

Upon hearing this, Mr. K raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by the person's reply. His gaze lingered on Charlotte's face for a moment before he chuckled softly, as if amused.

"Your ability to find this place by flipping through the newspapers without anyone notifying you is indeed quite astute. And as you can see, this is a transaction between wild extraordinary individuals, but I am the organizer and the notary."

He slowly stood up, his tall figure exuding a particularly imposing aura in the dim candlelight, as if to say that this was his personal domain.

"Therefore, I can decide whether the participants stay or leave at will, just like them who are still in a daze and unaware of their own situation."

The noisy conversation went on and on, and even as the two exchanged words like sparks flying, the extraordinary people in attendance remained unmoved, as if they were in a completely different world.

Seeing this, Mr. K grinned, and sneered as if with pity.

"How pitiful. For those meager hopes of promotion, for the sake of finding shelter to make a living, they are willing to give up even their self-esteem and dignity, without knowing the equality of giving and receiving. Haha, when one loses their guard, even the extraordinary are no different from lambs to the slaughter."

Sure enough, the drink she had before entering the party affected her senses, but the spiritual pollution and temptations would ultimately have no effect on her.

Of course, Charlotte didn't mind playing the victim, going along with Mr. K's words, letting her self-satisfaction overwhelm her rationality. As the preface says, when one loses their guard, even the extraordinary are no different from lambs to the slaughter.

Given this situation, I am naturally happy to see how much this extraordinary wild man possesses.

After all, Charlotte is a member of the Arbitration Tribunal and the goddess's most loyal supporter; eliminating dissidents is her duty.

Frowning, she half-pursed her lips, revealing a hint of panic at the opportune moment, and looked at the person in front of her with some confusion, speaking sharply.

“Mr. K, although this is my first time joining a party, if I go missing here, my friends will definitely report it to the authorities and expose the nature of this party.”

"Whether it's an agent of any church or a gendarme loyal to the Emperor, they can easily destroy this place, destroy this stronghold of wild extraordinary beings, and even take me down with them."

It was a warning, albeit one lacking in conviction, yet undeniably sincere.

A frank statement made out of fear sounds like the truth and can strike at the heart, but it is actually a lie that leaves one only scratching the surface and then unable to stop thinking about it.

Mr. K fell silent, his expression shifting between light and shadow, clearly deeply wary of Charlotte's words.

Admittedly, he had been running this gathering for some years and had satisfied his own desires through it, but it was precisely because of this that he came to know the plight of the extraordinary individuals living in the cracks.

Because of his unique circumstances and personal preferences, he sought the body of an extraordinary person and relied on beauty and art. Therefore, he coveted this brown-haired beauty at first sight.

Alcohol can stir up thoughts and lead to confusion, but the former seems to be less affected, so for now, we can only leave it at that.

"Rest assured, madam, they all volunteered. How could they go further on the extraordinary path without paying a price?"

With a wave of his hand, the man sat down again, as if to soothe emotions or to flip a switch. Instantly, the attendees around him realized the tension in the atmosphere and stopped what they were doing, their eyes shifting between the two men.

"Then, tell me your needs, ma'am?"

"Regarding the messengers of natural disasters, I would like to receive more specific information, rather than the vague generalization just now."

Instead of asking about the subsequent sequence of events first, Charlotte was more interested in understanding what Bella, as a doctor, would face as she openly expressed her desires and risk giving others a weakness.

The name "Cataclysm" alone is quite imposing, and it seems more like an extraordinary path in the middle sequence.

"Knowledge has value, especially nowadays. The level of detail in information depends on what you're willing to pay."

Restraining his unrestrained manner, Mr. K slowly sat up straight, his voice unusually low.

Fifty pounds.

She tightened her fingers slightly, her knuckles turning white from the force—a subtle, unspoken disguise.

Of course, to some extent, this is also a manifestation of heartache, because due to various purchases, she is indeed somewhat poor now. Even after operating some advanced services in Tingen, she only has a meager five hundred pounds of liquid funds in her wallet, which is not enough to make any waves in the market of extraordinary items, so she has to be careful with her spending.

As the words faded, the man at the head of the group remained silent for a moment before speaking, seemingly to drive the group away and bring the gathering to a close.

"This gathering is now over. You may leave one by one. As for this lady, I will speak with you privately about your question. After all, you have given your wealth, while they have not."

Like wooden puppets, regardless of gender, many of them stood up and gradually left in a daze. Perhaps because of the previous warning, and fearing that the former would have doubts again, Mr. K showed the ring on his finger, and under the gaze of the remaining participants, he shut his ears and spoke only to Charlotte.

“Madam, fifty pounds will only get you a superficial answer, but because of your reminder and this connection, I am willing to go the extra mile. Of course, if you wish to come again in the future, I will still welcome you with open arms.”

He paused for a moment, then changed his words and spoke again.

"The ascension ceremony of the messengers of natural disasters is fundamentally about killing living beings and destroying the environment. Due to their difficulty, invisible plagues are often more widespread and deadly than rare calamities. Therefore, most extraordinary individuals who embark on this path complete the ceremony with a plague. Thus, after the Advent of the Holy One, they are more often referred to as 'plague messengers'."

"Of course, I don't know the specific methods of transmission or the people involved. The bargaining chips you've given me aren't enough. I only vaguely remember that the earliest cases appeared in the district where the relief center was located. Maybe those high-sounding gentlemen released them on their own."

With a mocking chuckle, Mr. K looked up again, his gaze lingering on the beauty who had not yet left.

Do you still have any questions?

Instead of giving a direct answer, Charlotte asked again in a flat voice, seemingly casually.

she says:

Have any unfamiliar extraordinary individuals been coming and going here lately?

It was an indirect way of inquiring about the whereabouts of the little peacock.

Chapter 128 Prayer and the Good Lady

"An unfamiliar extraordinary being?"

Mr. K repeated himself in a low voice, a meaningful smile playing on his lips, “Madam, you should know that Florence is never short of unfamiliar faces, especially extraordinary people like us. Revealing our whereabouts means living in constant fear.”

Without responding, Charlotte gazed at the other person silently, the fluctuations in her tone suggesting that the former had more to say.

Just as expected, the man narrowed his eyes slightly and spoke in a nonchalant tone.

"However, since you asked, I can tell you some free information, which can be considered a friendly reminder for wild extraordinary individuals. Recently, there has indeed been a group of outsiders active in Florence. Their behavior is elusive, and they often wander around the chaotic factory area, their purpose unknown."

"Don't blame me for being vague, ma'am. No one wants to patiently greet a bunch of new faces. I think they're probably trying to stir up trouble in this outer district, like spreading rumors or attracting followers. Such things are not uncommon, and we just need to turn our attention away and obediently read the morning paper's reports about the kerosene explosion."

It's obviously a joke.

With a slight frown, one realizes that Florence's factory district, the city's industrial heart, is also a breeding ground for chaos and crime. It's a melting pot of all sorts of people, making it an ideal hiding place.

Although she had expected not to receive the relevant information, this subsequent conversation served as a reminder to Charlotte.

My little sparrow was forced to flee to the remote city of Tingen due to her father's crimes. When she returned to Florence, she naturally had to conceal her face, polish her beauty, and hide among the masses.

Charlotte did not say anything further, but simply nodded to indicate that she already knew.

Seeing this, Mr. K didn't say much, but simply clapped his hands, indicating that she could leave.

Having received that 'well-intentioned' reminder, even if he still harbored desires for the person before him, he was unwilling to shoot himself in the foot. Attracting the attention of the Vatican and the military was not a reason for him to painstakingly lie low in a corner of the outer city.

"Take care, madam, and I hope we'll meet again someday."

Unwilling to respond, Charlotte, along with the other attendees who had their faces covered, disappeared from everyone's sight.

Actually, it wasn't exactly a coincidence; she just happened to be coming to Suer Street to investigate, and the coded message published in the morning paper, after several connections, just happened to point to this place.

When multiple coincidences overlap, they can no longer be viewed through the lens of common sense.

Mr. K, this title is just a code name and not surprising, but the other party's arrogant and unrestrained behavior is not like the caution that a wild and extraordinary person should have in dealing with the world.

Is it an organization outside of the three major orthodox churches, or is it simply a matter of temperament? Perhaps, the so-called outsider is itself.

The night breeze caressed her face, and before she knew it, dawn and dusk had passed, leaving her only a touch of coolness as a comforting reminder.

Looking around, the thick yellow fog was even more conspicuous under the light of the coal lamps. There were not many pedestrians, and the outline of the street could be vaguely seen through the shockwaves brought by the passing carriages.

The old buildings and wide roads are like two opposing groups forcibly connected, and this is just the most inconspicuous and common corner of Florence.

The city was so large that even the bait scattered on the outskirts piqued Charlotte's interest.

She didn't mind using this identity to join some evil and extreme organizations, because being able to form a group meant having a complete sequence of paths, which was undoubtedly faster than taking the steady and methodical path. In any case, what did Isabella's life or death have to do with Charlotte, who was diligently serving the goddess?

By the way, since we can't go home, we need to find a place for this good doctor to stay temporarily.

It can't be too small, after all, it might welcome some beautiful girls in the future, and it's essential to have both dignity and distinctive features. It also can't be too big, as being too eye-catching or too extravagant wouldn't suit her status.

I casually peeled down an advertisement from a nearby lamppost. The rental information written on it wasn't very detailed, but it clearly described its acceptable advantages.

—A standalone villa for rent, located far from the train station.

In short, there is little noise disturbance, allowing for a peaceful night's sleep, and no strangers live nearby, avoiding unnecessary social interaction.

This is no different from her previous requirements for accommodation. Perfect, this is it.

She checked the house numbers along the street one by one. As she counted the numbers from the middle to the end, the surrounding environment became increasingly quiet, and she stopped and stood in front of the bright lights.

The wind chimes swayed, and a small mechanical bird placed above the door peeked out, chirping a welcoming sound.

Cuckoo, cuckoo~

It's a very fun toy, but the exposed gears make the craftsmanship seem a bit rough.

Thinking this to himself, a short while later, the door opened slightly, and a young woman dressed as a maid looked around warily until she saw Charlotte and then breathed a sigh of relief.

Humans are visual creatures; when we see beautiful things, we are always filled with impatience and wariness.

"Excuse me, ma'am, what can I do for you?"

“I saw some rooms for rent along the street. It’s getting late. I wonder if Ms. Savarin is taking a nap?”

This is a polite expression.

"please wait."

Touched by her demeanor and words, the maid bowed slightly and hurriedly went into the inner room. When they met again, she had already led Charlotte into the house and helped carry her suitcase and handbag into the hall.

A warm wave of air rushed towards her. Her gaze swept across the room, first taking in the fireplace with its red bricks and white tiles, then the patterned and colorful rug, and finally the landscape oil painting hanging on the wall.

"Madam, the guests have arrived."

The hostess was probably in her thirties, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Although her appearance was average, she took good care of herself, which made her fair skin and plump figure, giving her a graceful beauty.

"Hello, Ms. Savarin."

Good evening, what should I call you?

The court feather fan, fluttering the goose feathers, was likely warmed by the nearby fireplace. She wasn't wearing a high collar, but rather her neck was half-exposed, as she chatted casually with the other man.

Isabella Valenti.

The introduction remained concise, but the former's expression had changed slightly.

"So you're a lovely girl from the Valenti family. Come, sit next to me and tell my wife which area and which room you'd like to rent?"

With her brows relaxed, one could clearly sense that the woman's tone had become infinitely more intimate than before.

The reputation of her family as a family of doctors has such an effect; indeed, a girl like her, just by looking at her eyebrows and eyes, is a good woman inside and out.

"Number 13 Wembley Street, I hope to live closer to you so we can visit each other more often."

Without needing any deliberate flattery, she simply raised her eyelashes and let her gaze fall upon the former, and received a radiant smile in return.

"Then in the future, please don't complain that I'm bothering you too much."

......

If we broaden our perspective, while the doctor is still busy currying favor and running around trying to make a living, what about Charlotte herself?

Draped in a pure white veil, the blonde beauty closed her eyes with her fingers together, her lips slightly pursed, and whispered.

"Goddess above, please lower your eyes and look upon your believers. Please have mercy on me and forgive my transgressions..."

Yes, she was praying.

Chapter 129 Amidst Criticism

As the goddess's most faithful follower, she expressed her deepest piety, even though it never existed in the first place.

Well, actually, this is just an occasional collective activity of the arbitration tribunal; in other words, a vanity project. It's not surprising; any group would do the same, but it has a more mysterious air in this world.

Devout prayers filled the air, and all I could see were believers praying with their eyes closed.

As dusk approached, there were few people praying in the church, so they were able to all pray together in the upper prayer room.

In terms of doctrine, the tenets of universal salvation and tolerance are kind enough, and the acts of charity and reconciliation by most believers are indeed good deeds, making it worthy of the name of the Church of the True God.

However, after learning that the end of the extraordinary path is the gods, Charlotte can no longer feel awe towards them, at most relying on them only when she is in a weak position.

Of course, if we're talking about atonement, she did do some bad things, such as deceiving innocent girls, taking advantage of their weaknesses to get close to them, and then using them to her advantage, wantonly provoking them to satisfy her own interests and stirring up the sorrow of their passing.

So, I really am a bad woman.

They know they're wrong, but they don't correct it.

"Your embrace is so gentle, your whispers so tender, goddess, you open your arms, forever leaving warmth for children..."