CH 48.1

“So Liana may be supported by some power, but the question is what the other party can get by helping her.”

Luya thought about this question, pacing back and forth in the room.

There is no god in the empire, but it doesn’t mean that the spies from Grandi will not infiltrate. It has been confirmed that the people on the opposite side can cross the dense forest and the sea of fire to reach the continent of Asdera, but what is their purpose?

She always feels that the Theocratic Continent is not as uncontested as it seems, and the key is the god they believe in. Think about it carefully; as long as it is god’s command, believers will do it at all costs, no matter how impossible.

Maybe the crazy old man locked up with her in prison knew something. She heard that he hadn’t been caught since his early escape from prison. He may be hiding, or it may be that some upper-level forces are secretly helping him.

She always feels that there is an undercurrent in the imperial capital, and everything is more complex than it seems on the surface.

Luya silently wrote down all the clues, and when it was approaching late at night, she changed into a black dress and secretly turned out of the dormitory and hid in the alley.

Although the imperial capital is brightly lit all night, there are always some places in the dark, and there will be dead souls in the long darkness. Therefore, there are some paths that people will never pass in the middle of the night, and even the empire’s soldiers will not come to patrol these paths.

You won’t be followed by the dead as long as you run fast enough. Luya passed through the dark roads smoothly and finally passed the clock tower, passed through the Midtown from above, and sneaked into the upper city where the nobles lived quietly.

If the lower city is a slum, and the Midtown is a bustling city, the upper city, symbolizing power and status, is like a serene and quiet sky garden. It is like the Garden of Eden, with only happiness and joy. As if the end has never happened, the disputes and sufferings in the outside world have nothing to do with this place.

Compared with slums and energy factories, it is really dystopian…

Luya remembered that the world she was familiar with had become post-apocalyptic. The resources were always in the hands of a few people, and even in the end, the distribution was still uneven.

“About 500 meters below you, two soldiers are patrolling.”

Farus reminded Luya aloud, Luya made an OK gesture, and she lay on the eaves, silently monitoring one of the mansions through the light.

The housekeeper’s son, who she met at the energy plant, showed her the layout of the Derek’s manor. Although she didn’t plan to do anything tonight, Luya decided to find out the information first.

In fact, Luya felt that in today’s imperial capital, the nobles still occupying such a large area is too much.

The population load has exploded, and criminals will be exiled. A dozen people in the slums live in houses of several square meters, which are not even as good as a stable in a noble manor. However, the lives of nobles have not been affected at all, as usual extravagance and waste. Even a dog raised by a nobleman lived better than refugees.

What use is it for ordinary people to be dissatisfied? Is it fair? Of course, it is unfair, but the emperor does not intend to change all of this.

Luya didn’t plan to be the savior. She just wanted to do what she should do well. She quietly landed on the main roof of Derek’s house, opened the top-floor window, turned over, and jumped in.

Soon she found Liana in the countess’s room, playing the role of a filial daughter in front of her bed.

Luya couldn’t help but pricked her ears and began to eavesdrop on their conversation.

“Mother… the two daughters of the Duke of Barendfal family are both outstanding and highly rated by the public. I read the public opinion survey in the news. Teresa, the eldest daughter of the Barendfal family, has always been the imperial family’s top candidate who wants to become the imperial concubine. I am not confident that I can defeat them and win the favor of the Crown Prince…”

Liana looked very aggrieved, wiped her tears, and said, “I don’t know whether I should go to the dance. I’m afraid it will bring shame to the family. It’s all because I’m too late to come back. If I insist on going to the slum street to do charity like Miss Teresa earlier, maybe everyone will remember me…”

“Stupid girl, you are so smart and beautiful; how could His Royal Highness not like you?”

Countess Derek looked at Liana painfully and said, “My dear, you don’t have to be like the daughter of the Duke’s family. The slums are too dangerous. Giving charity to the poor is meaningless, but it’s just a good reputation. Look at Teresa, there are countless dark guards to follow and protect her every time she passes by, and our most trusted housekeeper, Rauss, has betrayed us. Oh, it’s incredible…”

“Mother, maybe I don’t deserve to be happy. There are rumors everywhere in the empire that I am a fake daughter, which caused Rauss and his son to want to drive me out at all costs…” Liana bowed her head sadly.

“Who said this? I will tell your father to punish them!”

Countess Derek couldn’t help but be furious when she heard the words, and then she clutched her chest in pain. Liana hurriedly took medicine to feed the countess. After the countess’s condition eased a little, she looked at Liana and continued, “Don’t worry, the Derek family’s coat of arms recognizes you. You are the child who will bring glory to the family… You must have confidence in yourself and will shine brightly at the dance.”