Chapitre 14: Street Brawl
The people walking outside the Alva family's residence were suddenly startled by three figures falling to the ground.
"Scared me. Who are they?"
Before the crowd could see clearly, a deep voice came from the entrance of the Alva family's residence: "Irina, the legitimate daughter of the Sullivan Family, is prohibited from setting foot in my Alva family from now on. Such a despicable act of stealing my lady's belongings is not worthy of befriending my lady at all!"
Upon hearing this, the crowd was wide-eyed with astonishment.
Taking a closer look, it was indeed Irina, the genius of the Augustan Empire. At this moment, her outer garment had traces of being forcibly torn, and her hair was a bit disheveled. She was sitting on the ground, having lost her former charming demeanor.
"Also, my lady said that these ornaments have been soiled by your character, so consider them as a gift to you!"
The captain of the guards, Heinrich, held the peacock feather gold hairpin and the crystal necklace in his hand and threw them disdainfully at Irina.
Irina was gnashing her teeth with hatred. How dare this bitch Alice accuse her of theft!
"I didn't steal. It's Alice who is talking nonsense." Irina struggled to stand up, and big tears like beads rolled down her face, looking aggrieved yet stubborn.
"I didn't want to say it in public. When she and I were fighting against a fifth-level magical beast in the Flaming Forest, she left me and ran away first. This is a fact!"
"Moreover, over the years, I, Irina, have been taking care of her both openly and secretly. Have I ever done anything wrong to her? I came to visit her with good intentions, but I was slandered by her. I will not endure such humiliation!"
The people around, after hearing her impassioned speech, couldn't help but empathize and began to condemn Alice, that good-for-nothing.
"Yes, yes. Alice is going too far. She even sent guards to throw Miss Irina out!"
"Has Alice forgotten all the kindness that Irina has shown her over the years?"
"Alice, come out and apologize!"
"Alice, come out and apologize!"
Hearing the unanimous public opinion in her favor, Irina slightly lowered her eyelids, concealing the smugness and malice in her eyes.
Alice, do you think you can bring me down like this?
Don't be delusional. The "popular support" that I have painstakingly cultivated over the years with my kind and gentle appearance is not something a loser like you can destroy!
The captain of the guards, Heinrich, seeing more and more people gathering around, was not flustered at all. Instead, he calmly raised his hands and clapped.
"Clap, clap"
In an instant, a row of guards and a row of maidservants came out from the Alva family's residence. Each of them was holding a copper coin and then threw them one by one in front of Irina.
This scene left everyone stunned.
The words that were originally condemning Alice came to an abrupt halt.
The captain of the guards, Heinrich, cleared his throat and said, "Miss Irina, your story-telling is so wonderful. This is a copper coin rewarded by our lady to you brothers and sisters."
"As for why it's a copper coin instead of a silver coin, our Lady Alice said that it's because your performance was clumsy, exaggerated, and unsatisfactory, so the reward was deducted."
The uniform "clap, clap" of applause rang out. It turned out that the guards and maidservants of the Alva family were nodding and applauding in approval.
Irina looked at the scattered copper coins on the ground, and her chin trembled uncontrollably with anger.
This is an outrage!
The onlookers were confused by this strange behavior and couldn't come to their senses for a while.
"Our lady also said that she has no intention of arguing with you in the street. Please leave quickly." Heinrich said politely.
After saying that, Heinrich waved his hand, led the people back into the residence, and slowly closed the door.
At this moment, Irina, looking all in a mess at the entrance of the Alva family's residence, seemed extremely ridiculous.
Irina clenched her fists so tightly that her fingernails pierced her skin, but she didn't seem to notice. She suddenly turned around and ran away, leaving even her two maidservants behind.
At this time --
Inside the Alva family's residence, all the guards, maidservants, stewards, and shadow guards gathered in front of the hall.
Alice was standing behind the old duke.
The old duke said in a deep voice, "Tell me, what good deeds did you do today? Why am I the only one who was kept in the dark?"
Rose timidly raised her hand in the crowd, "Your Grace, Rose doesn't know either."
The old duke glanced at her, and Rose quickly put her hand down.
The whole place was silent.
The old duke pulled Alice, who was distracted, out from behind him and asked with a stern face, "Little girl, what have you been hiding from grandpa?"
This little girl has only been back for three days, and she has managed to win over everyone in the Alva family so well...
Alice smiled and said, "Grandpa, I just taught them how to deal with Irina this morning."
"If you don't believe me, you can ask them."
The old duke saw Alice looking at him with a smile on her face. He immediately put on a serious face, glared at her, and then waved his hand to let everyone else leave.
The old duke then pulled Alice and asked her many things, such as why she broke off with Irina and how she knew in advance that Irina would come.
Alice answered some questions truthfully and managed to dodge others.
After Alice left, Heinrich came to the old duke's side. He bowed his head respectfully and said, "Your Grace, the lady has changed a great deal."
"What exactly happened today?" The old duke frowned.
Heinrich said, "Well, the lady found us and taught us strategies to deal with Irina. I have to say, the lady is very far-sighted. That Miss Irina of the Sullivan Family is really scheming..."
The old duke frowned after hearing this and was silent for a while, lost in thought.
As if he had figured something out, his frown gradually relaxed.
"Heinrich, let Alice do whatever she wants. There's no need to restrain her nature. I believe she can tell right from wrong and know what to do and what not to do."
Heinrich was not surprised to hear this. Instead, he smiled as expected.
"Yes, Your Grace."
--
In the Cloud Sparrow Pavilion.
After Alice returned to the Cloud Sparrow Pavilion, she locked herself in the room and ordered that no one was allowed to enter.
In fact, there was no one in the room.
Outside in the market, there appeared a figure of a dashing young man in white who was in disguise. The young man was wearing a half-iron mask on his face, and just half of his delicate and handsome face was exposed, which had already attracted the attention of passers-by.
Alice was this young man in white after the disguise. The reason she went out was to find some food for the little fur ball and buy some medicinal herbs to try alchemy.
It's just that she didn't have much money now.
The only way now was to sell the magic talismans she had drawn in the past three days.
She knew where the black market of the Augustan Empire was, but...
It cost a hundred gold coins to enter!
This made her already not-so-rich purse even more stretched.
Alice helplessly held her forehead.
Alice walked around many corners and came to a checkpoint at the entrance of a black market.
There were two black-clothed men wearing silver masks. When they saw Alice coming, one of them asked politely, "Sir, do you want to enter the black market?"
Alice nodded and "reluctantly" handed a hundred gold coins to one of the black-clothed men.
"Please enter, sir."
Alice slightly nodded and walked in. It was very dim inside, and it was formed by a series of steps going down.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone