NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 3: 3
Chapter 11: Ironclad Ship Ribbon CuttingTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 2966 words Update time: 2025-05-01 14:13:14
The cube hovered in Gu Yi's hand for a while, and then slowly disappeared according to his thoughts, leaving only the shiny "silver key" in his palm.
"There are still many things that I haven't figured out yet. I'll slowly figure them out after I return from the ribbon-cutting ceremony."
Gu Yi muttered softly, holding the "Silver Key" and quickly left the front hall, going up the stairs to the second floor.
He didn't have much time left, and he had to at least complete the most basic dressing before nine o'clock.
In Caroline's memory, the Loen nobles had very strict requirements on clothing for important occasions, especially for noble women. Social occasions were basically the main places for them to show themselves.
According to hundreds of years of etiquette, Loen's noble women can generally be divided into four categories according to age, status, etc.: adults and minors, married and unmarried. Among them, "adult" actually refers to their "adulthood" in social occasions. Generally speaking, as long as the noble lady is over 18 years old, she will be led by the queen of Loen to introduce her to other nobles in the kingdom. This is the sign of her "adulthood".
Caroline is 19 years old this year. As early as last year, she had completed the "coming of age" ceremony. For an adult noble lady, the dress code for attending various occasions becomes more stringent, for example: wearing appropriate jewelry according to the occasion; wearing long-sleeved gloves on the arms during the day, otherwise it would appear inappropriate; not exposing too much skin in non-ball occasions; not dressing too dazzlingly in places where royal family members are present, so as not to steal the show...
For some great nobles, such rules are even stricter. They are not even allowed to wear the same style of clothes repeatedly outside. Once worn, they cannot be worn again, otherwise others will think that something is wrong at home.
Although the Williams family had fallen into decline, with Caroline and the adopted Albert being the only direct bloodline members left, Williams was still considered one of the great nobles in the list of Loen nobles, which puzzled Gu Yi.
The dress etiquette of the Loen nobles was the most complicated of all the countries in the Northern Continent. Normally, if a noble lady wanted to get dressed, it would take at least an hour without the help of a servant.
Gu Yi is alone now, which means he has to complete a series of steps from interior decoration to exterior decoration to hairstyle and jewelry within more than ten minutes.
This sounds like something that is impossible to do, but the prerequisite is that the Williams family is still a truly wealthy and powerful aristocratic family.
In the aristocratic circles of Loen, almost everyone knew that the Williams family was completely finished. The former head of the family and his wife passed away early, leaving behind only a daughter who had just come of age. The family did not even have a housekeeper, let alone servants. There was no one to inherit the earldom, and the former noble status was only in name only.
Therefore, Gu Yi does not need to worry too much about the rules. As long as he does not violate any taboos, he can dress in the most relaxed way.
Do it yourself and have enough food and clothing. Caroline has never had the help of servants in dressing herself since she was a child. Her mother has always helped her to dress herself. She has also learned how to put on those annoying and cumbersome corsets and clothes by herself.
Fortunately, these memories were basically inherited by Gu Yi.
Gu Yi buried his head in the cloakroom, picked here and there, and found a skirt that he remembered he had never worn out.
"I don't know what Uncle Albert means. Is it necessary to be so solemn when attending a ribbon-cutting ceremony for an ironclad ship?"
Although Albert said that all the royal family members would be present, the so-called ribbon-cutting ceremony was actually similar to a government press conference. The focus was not on the nobles or the royal family members, but on the people in the royal government. Therefore, Gu Yi actually had no reason to dress so formally. He dared to guarantee that except for some great nobles, the other nobles would probably not dress so strictly.
Unless Albert has other plans for him...
...
Gu Yi hurriedly slipped back to the bedroom with a large pile of clothes in his arms and placed them on the bed one by one.
Then, he began to put on these various clothes one by one.
First came the underwear, then the corset, then the stockings and suspenders, followed by one petticoat and coat skirt after another, and finally the complex corset.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was not considered a "formal occasion" according to regulations, so Gu Yi did not need to wear a petticoat. That was not something he could wear on his own.
Gu Yu tied the strings on the bra and petticoat by stringing them together first and then putting them on the body. In this way, she only needs to hold the back with her hands to tighten the strings. Then she can tie a simple knot, and no one will notice it anyway.
However, the corset was a bit of a challenge for him. In his memory, it was not easy for Caroline to wear this thing either. She used to tie the rope to the door handle or some railings, and then push her body forward to barely tighten it. But when she finally tied the knot, the corset would still be a bit loose.
Gu Yi just tried it a little bit, and the overly tight corset almost made him unable to breathe.
"Who designed this anti-human thing?"
Gu Yi complained indignantly, but finally gritted his teeth and tightened the corset as much as possible.
In this way, he was basically dressed enough to go out.
She took a look in the mirror. The ivory white petticoat, peacock blue silk coat dress, lace-edged close-fitting long gloves, and the long light golden hair that fell like a waterfall made her look elegant and decent enough... Of course, the premise was not to notice Gu Yi's tired and helpless expression.
I have finally finished the most complicated thing. What time is it now?
While smoothing out the wrinkles on her skirt, Gu Yi was thinking and wanted to check the time on the wall clock.
At this moment, the knock on the door downstairs sounded like a precise time signal.
Well, no need to check the time now.
Gu Yi trotted to the stairs and shouted "Wait a moment" to the door to stop the knocking. Then he quickly ran back to the bedroom and picked up two suitable necklaces and pocket watches from the dressing table diagonally opposite the bed. While putting the necklace around his neck, he put the pocket watch and the "Silver Key" into the small handbag that he had prepared long ago.
Haven't combed your hair yet? Forget it, my hair quality is pretty good. Be careful of hair loss if you overcomb it!
Well, there's no need for a headdress. This isn't a dinner or a dance, so why wear so many things on your head?
Although her clothes were not completely matched, they were not much different from the Caroline in her memory. She had never been a person who liked to dress up excessively and she didn't even wear makeup on weekdays. If Gu Yi did too much, it would look strange.
After doing all this, Gu Yi quickly ran down from the second floor holding her handbag and skirt, changed into a pair of caramel-colored short boots, tied the shoelaces tightly, then stood up and opened the door.
Outside the door, a man in the uniform of a Royal Army colonel stood at the bottom of the steps, waiting sideways.
Seeing Gu Yu open the door, he leaned forward slightly and gave a standard greeting to the former:
"Miss Caroline, I am General Albert's aide-de-camp. You can call me Colonel Luca. The general asked me to pick you up and take you to Pritz Harbor. He is waiting for you there."
Behind Colonel Luca, a beautiful carriage was parked on the side of the road.
Gu Yi quickly looked at Colonel Luca and the carriage, then nodded and said:
"Thank you for your help."
Caroline was just rude to Albert, but she was very friendly to everyone else.
Turning back, he closed the door, locked it with the key, and slowly walked down the stairs.
Colonel Luca immediately walked quickly to the carriage, opened the door, reached out to hold Gu Yi's hand, and helped him into the carriage.
Then he turned around, knocked a few times at the front of the carriage, and ordered:
"It's time to go."
After Colonel Luca got on the carriage, the coachman at the front of the carriage started the horses and started moving.
...
The journey to Pritz Port was very long, or perhaps it was because Gu Yi had never experienced riding in a carriage for a long time. In short, after a journey that was very difficult to persist, just before Gu Yi was about to give up, the carriage that had been moving forward finally stopped.
Have we reached our destination yet? Gu Yu thought.
Before Colonel Luca, who was sitting on the opposite side of the carriage, could make any move, the door of the carriage was opened from the outside.
Outside the carriage, Albert Hanover stood there in military uniform, and the person who opened the door was the guard beside him.
Albert's gaze swept across the carriage and locked onto Gu E. His eyes were so sharp that Gu E felt uncomfortable all over.
Albert frowned slightly, but did not say anything. Instead, he raised his hand and handed it to Gu Yu in the car, saying:
"Come down."
Gu Yi did not act too cold. Any behavior should be moderate.
He stood up from his seat, reached out to hold Albert's hand, and with his support, he carefully stepped along the edge of the carriage and got off.
After leaving the carriage, the scene outside immediately entered Gu Yi's field of vision.
The open port, the boundless sea, the brightly dressed crowd, and the huge ship docked in the naval port.
The whole body has a gray-black metallic luster, as if it is an indestructible body, with inclined iron armor belts and metal rams, armed with artillery and turrets everywhere, and two tall chimneys spewing out thick smoke like a swimming dragon.
Even though he had seen more advanced aircraft carriers before, Gu Yi still couldn't help but sigh at this magnificent crystallization of human wisdom:
"This is... an ironclad ship!"Chapter 12 Nobility and the New EraTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3687 words Update time: 2025-05-01 14:13:34
While Gu Yi was shocked by the majesty of the ironclad ship, Albert Hanover stopped beside the carriage, waiting for Colonel Luca to come out, and the two began to chat in low voices.
"How about it?"
Albert's eyes were still on Gu Yu who was a few steps away. Facing the inquiry, Colonel Luca nodded, glanced at Gu Yu, and then said:
"I have carefully observed Miss Caroline along the way. She has no problems. There is no abnormality in either her body or spirit."
Albert nodded slightly, his expression unchanged, and continued to ask:
"Well, what was the result of the investigation I asked you to do before?"
"According to the information provided by Mr. Kurk, we checked along the route Miss Caroline took last night. As you expected, Miss Caroline went to the bars in the East District again. I think she was still investigating the truth behind the assassination of Mr. and Mrs. Williams."
Colonel Luca lowered his head and said, and suddenly, he paused, as if he was a little hesitant.
"only..."
"Go on."
Albert glanced at Colonel Luca. Although there was no dissatisfaction in his tone, the latter felt a strong sense of oppression.
"We received a report this morning at Sierra Vista Field that a large amount of blood was found in an alley in the East District. It seems someone was murdered, but no body was found..."
"That alley... General, that's where Miss Caroline ended up last night."
"We collected some blood at the scene, and according to the divination results, that blood belongs to Miss Caroline."
"Although it is unclear what happened in that alley last night, at least we can be sure that Miss Caroline had a fight with someone there, and she must have been injured."
After reporting the information obtained from the investigation, Colonel Luca stopped talking.
"Is that so?"
Albert stared at Gu Yi's back, making it hard to guess what he was thinking about.
"Luka, what do you think is going on?"
Suddenly, Albert asked unexpectedly.
Colonel Luca pursed his lips, lowered his head, and replied:
"Maybe... Miss Caroline got some extraordinary items for treatment."
After making a tentative guess, Colonel Luca waited for Albert's reply, but was met with only silence.
After a moment's hesitation, Colonel Luca continued:
"General, if you have any concerns, how about tonight..."
"Buzz——"
Suddenly, Colonel Luca felt a sense of suffocation, and he immediately closed his mouth and bent his body a little further.
The feeling of suffocation only lasted for a moment. Albert walked past Colonel Luca without saying any words of punishment.
...
The shock that a giant ship and its cannons can bring is far beyond what a few words in the book can express. At least for Gu Yi, the impact of looking directly at this sea beast is far greater than the ship footage played in previous videos.
"Do you like this ironclad ship very much?"
In amazement, Albert walked up from behind Gu Yi, looked up at the huge chimney on the ironclad ship, and spoke to Gu Yi in a flat tone.
"I'm just a little surprised. I didn't expect that humans have the ability to create such a giant steel beast that can dominate the ocean."
With the admiration of the people around him as a background, Gu Yu was not frightened by Albert's words that came quietly. Somehow, since yesterday, he seemed to be particularly easily frightened, and now he has finally corrected it a little.
"To dominate the ocean? That's a wonderful wish."
Albert didn't seem to agree with Gu Yi's point of view. Gu Yi turned his head slightly to look at him, trying to read something from his stern profile.
Was it because of his status as a major general in the Army that he did not agree with the Navy's achievements?
Haha, for a maritime power, the victory of the navy is the real key. In the steam age, being able to build an ironclad ship meant mastering the initiative of the ocean. If the army wanted to surpass the navy on the battlefield, it had to wait until the invention of the tank.
Gu Yi thought to himself and shifted his gaze back, wanting to see the other nobles in the port who were cheering for the ironclad ship.
As time went on, more and more nobles arrived at the naval base. From their clothing and their respective positions, one could clearly see the different noble groups.
Interestingly, Gu Yi noticed that the place where he was did not belong to any aristocratic group. He was only surrounded by Albert and his guards.
Perhaps noticing Gu Yi's gaze, Albert took a small step to the left of Gu Yi, raised his hand to instruct him, and said:
"That's the Conservative Party team over there. You can see the gentleman standing closest to the podium. He is the Prime Minister of the current government, Lord Agusid Negan, the leader of the Conservative Party. His brother, Duke Pallas Negan, is the Conservative Party's biggest supporter."
Gu Yi looked over there and saw a tall and thin middle-aged man with a pitiful amount of hair.
And Albert continued:
"On the Conservative side, closest to the landing pad, is the team close to the royal family, mainly composed of aristocrats who have married into the royal family."
"In the kingdom, although the Conservative Party currently holds the greatest power, the New Party is rising, especially with the support of the Church of the Goddess of Night. Even the Prime Minister has to consider the attitude of the New Party."
Church of the Goddess of Night? Oh, yes, I almost forgot. This world seems to have seven orthodox gods. The main beliefs of the Kingdom of Loen are three of them: the Goddess of Night, the Lord of Storms, and the God of Steam and Machinery.
Gu Yu thought calmly and said lightly:
"Are you sharing these thoughtful little bits of knowledge with me so that I can show off a little in my school coursework?"
"Even if I don't tell you this knowledge, you will slowly learn it in future social situations. I just informed you of the problems in advance, hoping that you won't make decisions that you will regret."
A decision he regretted? Was Uncle Albert worried that Caroline would do something drastic?
Yes, how could he not know that Caroline was secretly investigating the truth of her parents' assassination? Maybe he was just afraid that Caroline would find out about some nobles he couldn't afford to offend and bring disaster upon himself.
Well...but Caroline seems to have brought disaster upon herself.
Bad memories flashed through his mind, and Gu Yi subconsciously felt a little fear in his heart, which made him unconsciously clutch his arms and look away.
At this time, Gu Yu saw a newly arrived gorgeous carriage parked outside the naval base. A gentleman with a beautiful mustache first got out of the carriage, and then, with the help of the gentleman, a very beautiful girl walked out of the carriage holding his hand.
Caroline's memory is a little incomplete, but Gu Yi still remembers her identity.
At the same time, Albert saw the direction where Gu Yi was looking and whispered to him:
"The family of Earl Hall. He is a strong supporter of the New Party, a big banker, and a well-known philanthropist in Backlund. He has received strong support from the Church of the Goddess of Night."
"The young lady next to him is Earl Hall's daughter Audrey. She is seventeen years old, two years younger than you, but she is already well-known in the aristocratic circle and is known as Backlund's most dazzling gem."
Why is Uncle Albert telling me all this... She is not even of the same level of aristocracy as me. Look at the way Miss Audrey is dressed, she is obviously a very sophisticated young lady.
However, big bankers... It seems that the Kingdom of Loen is also experiencing the rise of the bourgeoisie. Although the kingdom adopts a constitutional monarchy parliamentary system, the power of the royal family is still very large, and the checks and balances between the upper and lower houses are also very obvious.
Combined with the recent repeal of the Corn Law, it seems that the situation in Loen is somewhat unstable. The ribbon-cutting ceremony of the ironclad ship may just be the calm before the storm?
While Gu Yi was analyzing the political situation in Rune, Albert did not stop his chattering. Even if Gu Yi did not want to listen, his voice seemed to be unstoppable and entered Gu Yi's ears:
"If you want to have a certain network of contacts in the future, I suggest you get in touch with Miss Audrey. The Williams family still has the title of earl and is still one of the great nobles in the kingdom. Earl Hall won't mind your approach, and I will mediate. After all, his second son Alfred and I are both in the Royal Army."
"But you have to be careful not to get too close to them, especially the New Party. To be more precise, don't get close to those teams that have conflicts with the royal family."
Conflict with the royal family?
Gu Yi keenly caught this detail. He wanted to hear more explanation from Albert, but the latter seemed to be making some shameful challenge and stopped talking after he got to the key point.
Just when Gu Yi was about to ask the reason, the crowd in the naval base suddenly burst into cheers. At the same time, a huge black shadow began to gradually descend from the sky.
Gu Yi looked up and saw a huge airship slowly landing.
On the side of the airship, the emblem of the Loen royal family, the Augustus family, was clearly printed, indicating the insurmountable majesty of the royal family.
"The royal family is here."
Albert said in a calm tone, raised his hand to take off the military cap on his head, and placed it flat in the crook of his left arm.
The airship landed steadily on the take-off and landing platform, and the escalator was lowered. Gu Yi stood on tiptoe to look over there. He first saw the royal guards in red military uniforms walking out in an orderly line. Then, he saw King George III and the queen walking side by side, and following closely behind them were the prince and princess.
The most important members of the ribbon-cutting ceremony had arrived, and Prime Minister Ashigud did not wait any longer. He stepped in front of the crowd and introduced this great work of the kingdom to everyone present.
Armor thickness 457 mm, length 101 meters, width 21 meters, displacement 10060 tons, 4 305 mm main guns, 6 rapid-fire guns, 12 6-pound guns, 18 6-barrel machine guns, 4 torpedo tubes, cruising speed 16 knots...
In modern times, it is just a moving iron turtle, but it was indeed the most powerful sea overlord in the Victorian era. However, the armor in some areas seems a bit thin. Is it because of insufficient steel production? Or is it a problem with the type of steel? But the caliber of the main gun is inexplicably large. What kind of strange combination is this? Is it a castrated version of the Yamato? Or is it a glass cannon?
Gu Yi's head ached slightly. When he played strategy games in the past, the area he was least good at was the navy. Now, this was just his first impression from the perspective of a navy rookie.
However, even in Gu Yi's eyes, this ironclad ship was full of inharmoniousness, but for the people of this world, it was already a super behemoth beyond their cognition.
After Prime Minister Archigold's praise, he turned the conversation over to King George III, not overstepping the king's authority, and bowed respectfully, saying:
"Your Majesty, please name it!"
The serious and old-fashioned George III seemed very happy, and no one knew what he was happy about.
After a brief speech, the king bestowed the name "Pritz" on this epoch-making ship.
After receiving the great honor bestowed by the king, the ironclad ship "Pritz" staying in the port let out a deafening roar, as if to cater to this honor.
The chimneys on the ship spewed out thicker smoke, and the mechanical engines that powered it made a roaring sound like a giant beast. Symbolizing the beginning of a new era, this sea overlord slowly sailed out of the port of the naval base, accompanied by endless cheers and applause from the port and the deck, announcing to the world the advent of a powerful national hegemony.Chapter 13 Audrey HallTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 4508 words Update time: 2025-05-01 14:14:00
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the "Pritzker", the king and his family completed their attendance duties and left the naval base on an airship under the protection of guards, amid the roar of the ironclad ship sailing out of the port.
The rest of the time was a window of time for the nobles to communicate with each other and then leave.
Gu Yi stood there and looked around for a while, and saw that the other nobles and parliamentarians were chatting freely. He suddenly felt that this scene was not as beautiful as the back of the "Pritz" that was going away.
It seemed that no one was going to take the initiative to talk to him, the heir of the Williams family. This was also good. If he talked too much, there would be too many mistakes. It was better to leave now.
So Gu Yi looked at Albert beside him, ready to ask him to take him back first.
However, Albert didn't seem to be in a hurry to leave.
The statue-like major general glanced in a certain direction, then turned to Gu Yi and said:
"Come with me."
After saying this, without giving Gu Yi time to ask or object, Albert walked away from the port.
What is this going to do...
Gu Yi didn't say anything, but followed Albert silently, paying attention to the direction he was going.
From a distance, Gu Yi saw a group of people in bright clothes surrounding a pot-bellied gentleman near a place where many carriages stopped.
The latter had a beaming expression, as if he was saying something very proudly, and the target that Albert was heading towards was exactly this gentleman.
The other party suddenly burst into laughter, as if he was amused by some interesting topic, and the fat all over his body began to tremble uncontrollably.
He nodded with a smile, and glanced over here with his greedy eyes like a jackal, and saw Albert and Gu Yi coming over.
"Ah, little Albert, it's been a long time."
The man opened his arms exaggeratedly and moved his bloated body toward Albert.
Albert did not say anything about this, his expression remained indifferent, he just bowed slightly to him and said:
"Best regards, Duke Negan."
Duke Negan? He is Duke Negan? The Conservative Party's biggest supporter, the brother of the current Prime Minister?
It's really full of stereotypes, but his hair is well maintained. I thought the nobles in Loen would also worry about hair loss like people in England.
Gu Yi's eyes quickly swept over Duke Negan, and he subconsciously leaned closer to Albert.
Duke Negan smiled, and his round face showed what he considered to be "kindness".
"I heard that you commanded an excellent battle in the border conflict with Feysac? This is really amazing. Look, everyone, our descendants still have the talent to support this country. This country will still rely on us nobles in the long run."
Duke Negan spoke in an exaggerated tone, and the Conservative members and supporters around him all applauded in agreement. Smiling faces gathered around Duke Negan, making his image stand out even more in the crowd.
"It's nothing to brag about, it's just my duty."
Albert walked up to Duke Negan, neither proud nor humble, as if he was just talking about work.
"Okay, that's great, that's what I like about you, Albert."
Duke Negan nodded with satisfaction, his eyes flickering towards Gu Yi, who had half of his body hidden behind Albert.
"Ah, the little Williams girl, this is really surprising."
Duke Negan turned the conversation to Gu Yi. Albert took a step to the side and let Gu Yi stand in front of Duke Negan. The latter took a few steps forward and extended his hand to Gu Yi.
Although Gu Yi was very unhappy, looking at the smile created by Duke Negan's squeezed facial features, he really didn't dare to bet whether there was a sharp blade hidden under this expression, so he had to gently raise his hand.
Duke Negan immediately grabbed Gu Yi's hand, raised it to his lips and kissed the back of his hand.
Then, he slowly stroked Gu Yi's fingers, not caring about how the latter felt through the gloves, and said with emotion:
"It's sad. The Williams family was a famous noble family in Loen a hundred years ago, but now they have fallen to this state... Curse those assassins! They don't know what they are doing!"
Duke Negan waved his fist in anger, as if he was giving a small speech. His companions around him once again agreed, and each of them seemed to be very sad about the murder of the Williams couple.
After stirring up the atmosphere, Duke Nigan looked at Gu Yi again and said softly:
"Don't worry, little Caroline. Karl and Catherine were my friends when they were alive. I will definitely seek justice for you. I believe that His Majesty the King will not allow such a despicable act to happen to a noble family with a long heritage. Your parents will definitely get a fair explanation."
What Duke Negan said was extremely righteous, as if he represented the justice of this country.
Faced with such words, Gu Yu could not say anything else, and could only slowly salute Duke Nigan and express his gratitude:
"You are such a warm and thoughtful gentleman."
Duke Negan immediately laughed again and then let go of Gu Yi's hand.
Gu Yu, who had finally broken free from his restraints, breathed a sigh of relief. He then saw Duke Nigan turn to Albert and say:
"You asked me to meet here this time, it shouldn't be just to discuss the matter we talked about last time, right?"
Albert nodded and said:
"Yes, Caroline is the only one left in the Williams family now. Although she is an adult, I think she cannot bear such a heavy family responsibility alone. So, I would like to ask you for help regarding Caroline's marriage."
Gu Yi, who was standing aside and listening silently, thought he would hear some interesting inside information, but was caught off guard by Albert's shocking words.
Whose marriage problems? My marriage problems?!
No, buddy, why are you doing this to me right away? You really are my uncle!
"Uncle Albert!"
At this point, Gu Yu could no longer care about playing the role of Caroline. If he continued to watch, he might be inexplicably arranged to get married in a short while. He also believed that if Caroline herself was present, she would definitely not remain silent.
Gu Yu stepped forward eagerly, wanting to voice his objection, but was pulled behind him by Albert, who continued to speak to Duke Negan:
"Caroline has never received a complete etiquette education of the nobility since she was a child. Now that she has lost her parents, she can hardly take care of herself. I am worried that she will not have a good life in the future, so I hope that Duke Negan can choose a reliable gentleman for Caroline."
Duke Negan raised his eyebrows, touched his chin with his five sturdy fingers wearing rings, and answered as if he was thinking seriously:
"This is indeed something worth considering. The Williams family's name cannot be lost for the time being. Perhaps I can choose a suitable son-in-law for Caroline, but I am worried..."
Duke Negan deliberately prolonged his tone, and Albert understood and lowered his head and said:
"As long as you can ensure that Caroline's future life is safe, everything will be left to you, the respected Duke Negan. As Caroline's guardian, I will not object."
Hearing Albert's words, Duke Negan immediately smiled again.
"Look at what you said. Little Caroline is so beautiful and charming. There must be many noble young masters who can be moved by her. You can leave this matter to me with confidence... Well, maybe my little son Philip will have a lot to talk about with Caroline?"
Hey, this development doesn't seem right. You guys just started talking about this topic, how come you have decided on a partner right away?
Gu Yi became more and more panicked. He pulled Albert's clothes hard from behind, but the latter still ignored him.
Just as Gu Yi was considering whether to turn around and leave, another voice came from the side of Duke Negan and Albert.
"What did I see? Major General Albert of the Hanover family and Duke Negan were chatting happily. This is a rare phenomenon."
Duke Negan and Albert turned around and saw Earl Hall walking towards them with a smile on his face.
Behind Earl Hall, there was a young lady looking over here. She was his little daughter, Audrey Hall.
"Haha, I didn't expect our chat would surprise Earl Hall. It seems we have finally found one of your weaknesses."
Duke Negan said jokingly, turning his body slightly towards Count Hall who was approaching.
"Oh, goddess, I really hope that not too many people will know about this weakness of mine."
Earl Hall still kept smiling as he walked in front of the crowd.
"Well, gentlemen, will you allow me to join in your gentlemanly conversation?"
Duke Nigan also smiled and said:
"How could I refuse?"
The two noble family heads looked at each other and laughed, but Albert on the side still had no expression.
Gu Yi didn't have much impression of Earl Hall, but he was now very grateful for his "interference".
At this time, Gu Yu saw Albert turn his head slightly and said to him:
"Go to the side for a moment."
Gu Yi nodded, and immediately left behind Albert, withdrawing from the conversation range of the nobles.
As he walked, Gu Yu secretly watched them and thought to himself:
Duke Negan is a supporter of the Conservative Party, and Earl Hall is a supporter of the New Party. The two are not the same kind of people at all. Why would Earl Hall come to Duke Negan at this time?
And Albert, does he have facial paralysis? Why does he always have a stern face?
That Duke Negan looks like an old rogue. I guarantee that he doesn't think well in his mind. Can his son be a good person?
As a guardian, how could Albert have no ideas of his own and just sell his niece so easily?
Gu Yi cursed Albert fiercely in his heart. The feeling of waiting for them to finish their conversation was just like waiting for the verdict in the dock of the court. He now wished he could slip away while no one was paying attention to him.
Just as Gu Yi clenched his hands, a pleasant voice came from his side.
"Hello~"
Gu Yi turned his head and saw the daughter of Earl Hall standing beside him, looking at him with her head tilted.
"My name is Audrey, you must be Caroline, right?"
Audrey did not add her last name, which in Loon's social etiquette represented a form of endearment.
Gu Yi naturally knew what this meant, so he nodded politely and responded:
"Hello, beautiful Miss Audrey."
"Haha, you really look like a gentleman. Well, I mean, an elegant lady with a gentleman's soul."
Hiss... Oh no, I forgot that the way men and women return a greeting is different. What a damn habit.
Gu Yi secretly said that this was not good, but fortunately Audrey did not think there was anything wrong with this detail. On the contrary, she seemed to think it was quite interesting.
Audrey covered her mouth and chuckled a few times, then she looked at Earl Hall who was chatting with someone in the distance. Her expression became more serious, and then she said to Gu Yi:
"My father has mentioned your experience to me. Please forgive me for bringing up the past that could easily make you sad at this time. Please accept my condolences and blessings."
Audrey spoke sincerely, her green eyes were full of clarity, and between her brows one could see the obvious sadness that came from caring for others.
Looking at Audrey's appearance, Gu Yi felt a little embarrassed.
"It doesn't matter. It's all in the past. We should look forward."
"You are such a strong woman, just like the protagonist in a novel I've read..."
"I think, Audrey, you are more like a beautiful girl that only appears in dramas or legends. I heard from my uncle that you are the most dazzling gem in Backlund."
"Really? Why do you always joke with me like this?"
Audrey deliberately showed a distressed expression, but the raised corners of her mouth revealed her true mood at the moment.
Seeing this incredibly beautiful lady in front of him displaying such an attitude, Gu Yu's originally unhappy mood improved a lot.
After chatting with Audrey for a few more sentences, the two of them opened up their conversation, from various small topics to their views on life attitudes. Audrey's mind was very active, and even Gu Yu, who used to be able to talk fluently when giving class reports, could hardly keep up with her pace.
Perhaps because she felt that the wait was a bit long, Audrey glanced in the direction of Earl Hall and the others, pursed her lips and said:
"Dad, what are they talking about..."
"Uncle Albert and Duke Negan were just discussing my marriage problem. I think Earl Hall may be involved now."
"Huh? How can this be possible?!"
Audrey was shocked when she heard Gu Yi's words, and then immediately showed her dissatisfaction.
"This is too much. How can a girl who just lost her parents be allowed to marry in such a hurry? Now people are beginning to advocate free love, and even the church does not encourage forced marriage. Have they considered your opinion?"
"No, I need to ask Dad."
As she spoke, Audrey seemed to get angrier and angrier, so she lifted her skirt and wanted to run to ask her father.
Seeing this, Gu Yu hurriedly grabbed Audrey, thinking that this was too compassionate, and said to Audrey:
"Don't go, there are too many of them."
"It's okay. I'll just borrow Dad for a while and tell him what you really think. He will definitely speak up for you!"
Gu Yi stood in front of Audrey, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Judging from her attitude, she really wanted to stand up for herself.
"Don't worry Audrey, I'm not the kind of person who would willingly let others bully me. I will find a way to handle this matter myself."
Looking into Gu Yi's eyes, Audrey couldn't help but feel an inexplicable sense of reliability.
Just as she was about to say a few more words to Gu Yi, she saw the nobles who had gathered together disperse. Earl Hall turned around and walked over here, and Albert also cast his eyes towards Gu Yi.
"Audrey, we should go."
Lord Hall said to Audrey from a distance.
"Got it, Dad."
Audrey responded quickly, then held Gu Yi's hand again and whispered to him:
"If you need any help, just write to me and I will definitely help you solve your difficulties and troubles!"
What a good kid...
Gu Yu sighed in his heart and nodded:
"Yes, definitely."Chapter 14 RejectionTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3441 words Update time: 2025-05-01 14:14:09
After saying goodbye to Gu Yi, Audrey trotted over to Earl Hall and walked with him towards their carriage.
After walking a distance, Audrey looked back at Duke Negan and the others, making sure they had all left. Then she looked up at Earl Hall and asked curiously:
"Dad, what were you talking about just now?"
Earl Hall pinched his beard and heard Audrey suddenly bring up this topic. He didn't think too much about it at first, and replied casually:
"We were just catching up. Duke Negan and the others have known each other for many years."
"Well, just catching up?"
Audrey puffed up half of her cheek and looked at Lord Hall suspiciously.
Seeing his daughter's attitude, Earl Hall was puzzled at first, and then immediately recalled the conversation between Audrey and Gu Yi just now.
Seeing that her father did not tell her the truth, Audrey moved aside somewhat unhappily.
"I heard from Caroline that you were talking about some very rude topics, right?"
Earl Hall raised his hands, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, and "surrendered" to Audrey:
"Audrey, my little angel, don't you still believe in your father's character?"
"Of course I believe it! The contemporary Earl Hall, Backlund's great philanthropist, is generous and kind, promotes reforms and cares for the people... But now, I feel that Earl Hall is a cold-hearted person who doesn't respect poor girls!"
Audrey recounted the praises that the outside world had given to Earl Hall. She had always been very proud of her father because of this.
Earl Hall quickly moved closer to Audrey and explained in a gentle and soft voice:
"Duke Negan does intend to prepare a marriage for Caroline. After all, this is the plan of Major General Albert, Caroline's only guardian now. It is not appropriate for me to get involved too much."
"You have to know, Audrey, that Caroline lost her parents. Fortunately, she has no other relatives, so she doesn't have to worry about anyone coming to seize her inheritance. However, it is quite difficult for her to manage the family on her own and prevent the Williams bloodline from being cut off."
"Caroline just came of age last year, and she is now just a student at Backlund University. If she doesn't have the support of a reliable force, her future life will be very difficult."
Audrey was never an unreasonable person. Although she was a little angry because she stood up for others, she calmed down after listening to Earl Hall's words patiently. She lowered her head dejectedly and murmured softly:
"Can't Caroline make her own choice?"
Earl Hall sighed, looked into the distance, and said with deep emotion:
"We can't help it. This is the complicated struggle within the kingdom. Back when Loen was founded, the Williams family was also a prominent and meritorious family with a longer and more ancient heritage than our Hall family. How could we have expected that it would collapse all of a sudden and the entire family would fall to this point."
As he was talking, Earl Hall noticed Audrey's depressed mood, so he immediately changed the subject, took Audrey's arm, and said with a smile:
"But don't worry, Audrey. As long as the Hall family name still exists in the upper echelons of Rune, I will not allow anyone to deprive you of your right to choose. You will always be able to make your own decision."
Audrey came back to her senses, raised her head, looked at her father, and nodded obediently.
"Um!"
...
Earl Hall and his family happily got on the carriage to go home, but on the other side, the atmosphere between Gu Yi and Albert was not so relaxed.
After getting on the carriage, or rather, since Albert finished talking with Duke Negan and others and took Gu Yi away, he had not spoken a word. He and Gu Yi were sitting on the same row of built-in sofas in the carriage, which made Gu Yi feel uncomfortable, as if every extra second he sat there was a second of torture.
Albert's carriage had no windows, only a ventilation hole on the top, so he couldn't even see the scenery along the way. Was he doing this to prevent assassins? Was it a habit he developed in the army?
Gu Yi was thinking boredly and kept looking down at his hands to pass the time.
After an unknown amount of time, Albert's cold voice finally rang out in the dull carriage.
"You seem to be getting along well with Earl Hall's daughter?"
Gu Yi glanced furtively at the person in front of him, only to see him leaning against the other side of the carriage with his eyes closed as if he was resting.
"Audrey is a very good girl. It shouldn't be surprising that I have common topics with her, right?"
Gu Yu did not give a direct answer, but gave a very broad explanation. However, Albert did not seem to care much about Gu Yu's answer.
"That's good. Maintaining a close relationship with Miss Audrey will be beneficial to your social status among the noble ladies in the future."
"Does everything in your eyes only have value in serving the interests?"
"Earl Hall also expressed his willingness to form an alliance in what he just said to me. I may have to correct some of my previous words. If you can win the favor of one of Earl Hall's two sons and let Hall and Williams unite, perhaps..."
"Albert!!"
Gu Yu couldn't stand it. On the one hand, he had never been subjected to such a suffocating lecture arrangement. Even when he was criticized by his class teacher in high school, it was not as uncomfortable as it was now. On the other hand, it seemed to be an impulse coming from deep inside his body.
He stood up directly from his seat, not caring that he was in a moving carriage, and glared at Albert with his eyes wide open and extreme anger.
The sound of him calling Albert's name echoed in the carriage, causing the coachman driving the horses in front to pause for a moment, and the speed of the carriage slowed down significantly.
At this time, Albert slowly opened his eyes, slowly turned his head and glanced at Gu Yi. His expression was still as calm as water. His eyes met Gu Yi's in the air, but he did not reveal a trace of emotion, making the latter completely unable to understand what he was thinking.
The two looked at each other for a while before Albert spoke:
"Don't stand in the carriage. Sit down."
Gu Yi found it a little funny. He didn't expect that Albert's first sentence at this time would be like this.
He turned his head away, as if in a huff, and stopped looking at Albert. He sat down and used his hands to pull his skirt toward his legs to prevent the fabric from being damaged.
The carriage fell silent again, and neither of them spoke until the carriage sped up again and returned to its previous state. Only then did Gu Yi hear Albert's voice again.
"Do you know why I asked you not to get too close to the new party headed by Earl Hall?"
Gu Yu's eyes moved slightly, and he said lightly:
"Why."
Albert replied calmly:
"As representatives of the emerging nobility and bankers, the Kingdom's New Party advocates changes to the current laws of the kingdom, supports reforms, relaxes restrictions on capital and entrepreneurs, builds a bridge between the nobility and the emerging capitalists, tends to be secular, cooperates with the church, and improves people's livelihood."
"For the royal family, this is a challenge to the king's authority, and his majesty does not like the new party's style."
"In contrast, the Conservative Party is made up of large landowners and old aristocrats, who build their power on territories and manors, so they are more easily won over and united by the royal family. It is less likely to offend the king if you are close to the Conservative Party than to the New Party."
Well, a classic internal struggle within a constitutional monarchy, something that has happened many times in the history of the Earth.
Gu Yi quickly thought about it and said indifferently:
"So what does this have to do with your eagerness to use me as a bargaining chip for marriage? Do you really think that Duke Negan is a trustworthy person?"
"Although Duke Nigan is very amorous, greedy and stupid in private, he represents the Conservative Party and the old nobles of Loen. The marriage he introduces will definitely link you with the conservative nobles. This is the safest way out for you."
Albert's eyes were always focused in a certain direction, with only his mouth and the beard around it moving slightly.
"I told you not to get too close to the New Party before, just to prevent you from being disliked by the royal family and other conservative nobles because of the New Party, and to prevent you from getting help and support from the New Party nobles."
"But if you can form an alliance with Earl Hall's family, then you will have Earl Hall's protection and support. In that case, you will also be able to get a good result."
Gu Yu sneered, and threw his beautiful eyes at Albert, saying:
"Is this why you force me to get married?"
"It's not me who is forcing you, it's the Williams family name that's forcing you. As a descendant of Williams, you can only take this path."
Albert turned to look at Gu Yi, with a subtle hint of unquestionable majesty in his tone.
"You feel like you still have options, that you can change the situation at Williams on your own. But I can tell you, you can't."
"Look at how you look now. I asked you to dress more formally. Although you did choose the right clothes, the details on your body reveal your carelessness and weakness."
"The skirt was not ironed or trimmed, the corset was loose, the hair was not combed, she did not wear makeup when she went out, there was no servant to help her carry her belongings, the jewelry she wore was not properly matched, and she did not even wear a pocket watch."
"I know Karl and Catherine never hired a butler or servants before, but that was them. Can you stand on your own without these helpers now? It's impossible."
As Albert paused, the carriage also stopped. Before long, the carriage was opened by the guards from the outside, and outside the carriage was Caroline's house.
Albert glanced at the guard, asking him to move away a little, and then said to Gu Yu, who stood up and prepared to get off the car:
"Don't wander around these few days. I will send some servants and housekeepers to you. You should concentrate on your studies and return to the university first. Then I will discuss the marriage with you."
"I think it is unnecessary to trouble you with these matters, Mr. Albert."
Albert's voice paused, his brows slightly furrowed, and he finally showed some anger.
Gu Yi turned around, without any fear or anger, and just looked at Albert calmly. Her face without makeup was clean and real, flawless and beautiful, but her temperament had an extremely special vitality.
Albert's expression was dazed for a moment, and he only heard Gu Yu leave a sentence:
"I will prove to you that I have the ability to survive on my own."
Afterwards, Gu Yi stepped off the carriage and walked towards home without looking back.
Albert stared at Gu Yu's back, but in the end he said nothing. He raised his hand and grabbed the door of the carriage. The door that was open to the outside closed by itself without any warning.Chapter 15 NotesTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3795 words Update time: 2025-05-01 14:14:30
Gu Yi took the key and walked into the house. When he closed the door, he heard the sound of a carriage driving away and he breathed a sigh of relief.
His performance just now was half out of real emotion, and half to extract useful information from Albert.
There were undercurrents within the kingdom, and Albert must have known some inside information or smelled the coming turmoil.
He was afraid of something, and this fear made him want to make arrangements early, and Caroline was a link in his plan.
After all, Albert was an adopted son. Although he was still Caroline's uncle in name, so much time had passed that the blood relationship might have long since faded.
He cared so much about Caroline, either because blood was thicker than water, or because of something else.
"Albert's words were all about nobility and the royal family, and he extended these to his relationship with Williams..."
"Has the Williams family had any previous stories? Do they need to be so careful about the royal family's attitude towards them? As a noble family with a long history, do they really need to be so cautious?"
Gu Yi was thinking while taking off his boots and putting on slippers. He couldn't wait to take off the heavy and thick corset and outer skirt on his body, and ran to the second floor to change back into the clothes he wore when he went out to buy bread in the morning.
Ah...it's still so comfortable.
Feeling as if his whole body and mind were liberated, Gu Yi slumped comfortably on the sofa in the front hall on the first floor.
"I'm not sure what Albert's purpose is yet, but at least I have to prepare myself for it, otherwise I will really marry someone else inexplicably!"
Are you kidding me? I am a serious man! Although I have been in Sichuan for a long time, it was for studying! In my heart, I am still a pure Jiangnan person.
Thinking back to the fat face of Duke Negan whom he had just seen at the port, Gu Yi felt a genuine physical discomfort.
He even felt that if it weren't for his age and reputation, maybe this old Deng would dare to ask him to be his lover.
No, looking at his expression, as a big donor to the Conservative Party and the brother of the current Prime Minister, maybe he doesn't care about his reputation at all...
Hiss, no, no, I have to find a way to make myself stronger!
Gu Yi shuddered all over, then immediately stood up, took out the "Silver Key" from the small handbag thrown beside the door, ran up the stairs to the second floor, then walked deeper into the corridor and went up to the attic from a small staircase at the end.
Compared with the first and second floors, the attic was not very large. Although Caroline had often cleaned it before, it was still cluttered with all kinds of papers, books, bottles and jars. The scattered debris had deformed the carpet on the wooden board, and the air was faintly filled with the smell of dust and paper ink.
Gu Yu groped in the dark and found the gas switch along the pipe on the wall. After turning on the valve, the light hanging on the wall slowly lit up, dispelling the darkness in the attic.
Caroline's house is the same as the surrounding townhouses. She only needs to pay the gas bill for the previous month to the city hall every month to continue using the gas. Therefore, there will be no situation where the lights suddenly go out due to unpaid gas meters. Basically, there is lighting everywhere in the house.
"This place is too messy..."
Gu Yi looked at the mess in the attic. He almost tripped over the books thrown on the floor as he walked. He didn't know what Caroline had done here before.
Carefully walking past the pile of junk, Gu Yi came to an old wooden table against the wall of the attic.
He turned on another gas lamp that stood on the table, and the bright light further illuminated his vision.
There were many things placed on the desk. A feather pen and ink were placed in the front right, spare blank papers and a paper cutter were on the left, and several old leather-bound books were piled together on the right. It looked like the desk of an old scholar.
In the middle of the desk, there was an open notebook. Compared with those books, this notebook seemed closer to the present.
Gu Yu pulled a chair over and sat down, leaning over to look at the notebook on the table. On that clean page of paper, a few simple notes were written in the elegant and beautiful Loen language.
"East District, Brave Bar, no clues yet."
"East District, Lucky Bar, waiting for inspection."
"The Workers' Union Tavern, Docklands, worth a look."
These seemed to be places where Caroline collected intelligence. It looked like she was looking for something, or someone.
Could it be something related to the murder of the Williams couple? Or something related to Caroline herself?
Gu Yi tapped the table lightly with his right index finger, and grasped the "Silver Key" in his left hand and brought it to the desk.
Looking at the "Silver Spoon" in his hand, Gu Yi felt that the secrets that were bothering him now were not just about what happened before Caroline was murdered.
In addition to the luck-changing ritual, the "Silver Spoon" also produced a magical effect in this world. Is it because this world is extraordinary that it has such an effect, or is it because they themselves have a mystery?
"The luck-changing ritual is still too dangerous. A headache is never a good sign. I'll try it after I've done more research."
In comparison, the "Silver Spoon" seems easier for him to use?
Hmm... I didn't figure it out just now, why not try it again now?
Gu Yi pondered, turned the "Silver Spoon" quickly in his hand, then clenched it tightly and whispered the honorific name again:
"The omniscient and omnipotent God, the king of the endless void, the one to whom all things return to one..."
After chanting the honorable name of Yog-Sothoth, Gu Yi immediately felt a mysterious fluctuation.
Immediately afterwards, the illusory cube appeared silently in Gu Yi's hand.
Summoning the cube again, Gu Yi felt that the connection between himself and the cube seemed to have become stronger and closer. Without much thought, the cube followed his consciousness, expanded instantly, and wrapped Gu Yi up.
Isolated from the surrounding environment, Gu Yi was still sitting on the chair with his arms leaning on the desk, but everything in his field of vision was covered in a rich grayish white.
It seemed that he was the only one in this space, and of course, there were also those "reports" floating in the air.
Gu Yi picked up a "report" and the first thing he saw was the eye-catching bold title.
"The Loen Kingdom's ironclad ship sets sail successfully"
Hmm? It seems that there is no "report" this morning, so is this thing updated in real time?
Gu Yi thought about it and then looked down.
"In the seventh millennium of ■■■■■■, the great wisdom of mankind was born into the world amid the roar of steam and steel."
"The Kingdom of Loen, a country with a long history of about 1,500 years, has rapidly developed its scientific and technological strength after a long period of progress and research, struggle and conquest. Its national power has reached its peak, and the roaring steam engine seems to be about to mark the arrival of a country's hegemony. Pirates, enemy countries, ambitious people and conspirators, at this moment, can only crawl under the deterrence of these giant ships and cannons. It is obviously not a wise move to face this power directly. We are witnessing history, or becoming a part of it. "
"Does a great country, under the shadow of its power, also have glory that can be known to the world? Or is it that what is hidden in those shadows is also darkness and filth?"
Under the "report", the small comment said:
——"Change may be coming soon."
I heard similar words in the Prime Minister's speech just now...
It's almost like reporting on what's happening in the world from the perspective of a news newspaper... maybe I can get some first-hand information about some things through it?
But it seems that there is some information that I cannot see. Is it because I am not qualified at the moment?
Gu Yi stared at the "report" in his hand for a while, raised his hand and threw it aside, then picked up the "report" below and read it one by one.
Just as he thought, the contents of these "reports" were indeed records of some things happening in the real world. There were big things and small things, from the new policies launched by the kingdom to some cases that happened in the East District today, from the gossips of a certain noble lord to the strange stories circulating among the people.
The choice of "report" does not seem to have a clear purpose, but it is not a meaningless and arbitrary record. It seems that only some events that can cause dissemination or have an impact will appear in the cube space.
"It seems that it is not enough to just read, but also to screen various kinds of information..."
At this time, Gu Yi was holding a "report" which contained a strange rumor about Duke Negan and a baroness.
"What's the point of showing me this kind of information? I'm not a reporter for a gossip magazine..."
"Well, it seems that this kind of thing doesn't exist in this world yet. Can I seize this business opportunity?"
"Forget it, forget it. These nobles are not easy to mess with. What if I reveal too much and someone pays me to do something? I'm not short of money. There's no need to put myself in danger for a few pieces of silver."
Gu Yi curled his lips helplessly and threw the "report" in his hand aside.
After reading about ten "reports", Gu Yu clearly felt that his energy was being consumed at a very fast rate. He began to feel sleepy, and his eyes were dry and astringent as if he had been looking at the computer for a long time, not to mention his sore neck and swollen brain.
As expected, using the cubic space also requires a lot of my energy...it's not that cheap.
Gu Yi twisted his neck and prepared to leave the cubic space after seeing this.
He casually flipped through the pile of "reports", wanting to take a quick look at what other strange things there were.
Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a familiar name appearing on a page of "report".
"Audrey?"
Gu Yi pulled out the page of "report" puzzledly, wondering what the angelic young lady could have done that was worthy of being recorded in the cube space.
"The Birth of Justice"
"Audrey Hall, a noble lady who grew up in a greenhouse, like other noble daughters of Loen, became curious about the extraordinary world in her leisure time. By chance, or perhaps by fate, she came across a little adventure in this world..."
"No one knows what happened during this period, and no one knows what Audrey got from the broken magic mirror, but what is certain is that from today on, she has a brand new code name, the eleventh major arcana of the Tarot card, "Justice"! "
——"It is good that destiny has steadily begun to weave."
"Justice"? Tarot card code?
By the way, there are indeed tarot cards in this world. It seems that they were created by a man called "Emperor Roselle"...
Gu Yi wanted to think further, but his gradually dizzy head seemed to no longer support him to continue maintaining the cube.
So he had to put down the "report" in his hand, and with a thought, he stopped the unfolding of the cube, letting it shrink back to its original state and float quietly in his hand.
After leaving the cubic space, the appearance of the attic appeared in Gu Yi's eyes again.
Miss Audrey also has her own little secret...
Gu Yi chuckled, pressed his throbbing temple, and squinted at the cube in his hand.
"You should at least be given a name. It's not nice to keep calling you Cube-Cube."
"Well, let's call it 'Void Cube', corresponding to the empty space, and also corresponding to the phrase 'Lord of the Endless Void'."
After deciding on a suitable name, Gu Yi ended the summoning of the "Void Cube".
The silver-gray cube quickly disappeared into the air. Gu Yi clenched the "Silver Key" in his hand, changed his sitting position, and lowered his eyes to look at the notebook on the desk in front of him.
It seems that the "Silver Spoon" is currently unable to send himself back to his hometown, and the luck-changing ritual is not that reliable. He can only continue to live in this world, try to explore more unknowns, and find other ways to get himself back.
Gazing at the words written by Caroline on the notebook under the dim light of the gas lamp, Gu Yi curled the corners of his mouth bitterly.
From now on, I am temporarily Caroline...