บท 196: CHAPTER 196 - Reunion After a Long Separation
Kai'Sa, being new to the city and coming from a more primitive village in Shurima, found a stark contrast between Piltover's modern amenities and what she was accustomed to.
Things like electric lights, kettles, faucets with running water, flush toilets, and bathtubs were unfamiliar to her.
Not to mention items like shampoo, body wash, soap, and toothpaste, which were considered luxury items for a child from a remote village in Shurima.
Li Lin patiently introduced Kai'Sa to everything in the house and then led her to the bathroom, where he prepared a warm bath for her in the tub.
Kai'Sa couldn't remove her living skin, but she could still enjoy a warm bath and wash her hair.
After Li Lin left, he still felt somewhat concerned about Kai'Sa, so he called for a maid to assist her.
Once he had taken a refreshing bath and changed into decent clothing, he heard a gentle knock on the door.
Opening the door, Li Lin caught a whiff of the scent of shampoo.
The maid who had helped Kai'Sa bathe stood with her in the hallway outside the room.
"As per your instructions, Mr. Li Lin."
"Thank you."
"You're too kind, sir. It's all part of my job."
The maid smiled, bowed to Li Lin, nodded to Kai'Sa, and then turned and left.
As she walked away, Li Lin took a closer look at Kai'Sa.
Her deep purple shoulder-length hair, which had cascaded like a waterfall, was now tied into a neat ponytail. Her face was lightly made up to conceal the purple void patterns on her cheeks and forehead, as well as her purple lips.
Due to the issue with her shoulder sacs, Kai'Sa couldn't wear clothes normally, which made her look quite peculiar.
But aside from that, she was no different from any other lovely young girl.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Kai'Sa felt a bit embarrassed under Li Lin's gaze and subconsciously touched her face.
"The lady just now applied some cosmetics to my face... Is it strange?"
"Why would it be strange?" Li Lin ushered her into the room and stood in front of a full-length mirror in the living room, smiling. "Do you notice anything special?"
Kai'Sa blinked, feeling pleasantly surprised by the changes in her appearance. "...This is?"
"Makeup, to temporarily cover the void marks on your face." Li Lin explained, "This way, people will be more likely to mistake your skin for Hextech technology."
Kai'Sa stared at her reflection in the mirror, her lips involuntarily curling up.
She didn't particularly like how she looked after being influenced by the void.
Back in Shurima, even with Li Lin and her father accompanying her in power suits, she didn't feel as out of place.
But some people could still tell that she wasn't ordinary from the special patterns on her face and her purple lips.
"However, cosmetics aren't good for the skin. If you're not going out regularly, you don't need to wear them."
"Thank you. Even so, I'm very satisfied."
"Compared to your previous valor, you now have a bit more charm."
Praised by Li Lin, Kai'Sa lowered her eyelids, her cheeks visibly reddening, feeling a small sense of joy.
Before her village was consumed by the void, many elders had praised her in a similar manner.
But for some reason, the praise from the elders felt completely different from Li Lin's compliments.
Seeing Kai'Sa's shy expression, Li Lin smiled knowingly.
Compared to the days when she first emerged from the underground and felt somewhat inferior due to her dermablades, her transformation was becoming more and more pronounced.
This was a good thing.
Her current mentality was not as mature and steadfast as in the original timeline, making her easily influenced by external factors.
What Li Lin needed to do now was to gradually influence her subtly, so that she wouldn't be easily swayed by malicious individuals.
Most importantly, he needed her to recognize herself as a human, not a void monster.
Li Lin collected his thoughts, gently placing a hand on Kai'Sa's shoulder and smiling. "Alright, it's time to introduce you to Caitlyn."
...
...
221 Glitterwill Street.
Caitlyn sat in front of her desk in casual attire, jotting down notes in her dedicated notebook.
On the desktop, neatly arranged case files were sorted, with a map of Piltover pinned to the wall beside the bookshelf. Several locations were marked in red with connecting lines.
"Renata Glasc, the monopoly tycoon of Zaun, Alchemy Baron... and Silco, the current manager of the Border Market," Caitlyn muttered to herself, biting her lower lip. She dropped her quill and leaned back in her office chair.
Her fair hands clenched into fists, as she lightly massaged her temples with her index fingers, her expression slightly troubled.
"I can't control the malicious business competition, but if it leads to loss of life..." Caitlyn sighed helplessly.
Lately, she had been under a lot of pressure.
A few months ago, she gained fame for solving the Zaun Mutant Plague Rat Serial Killer case.
Recently, not only were ordinary citizens frequently seeking her help with various mundane issues, but the Piltover Enforcers also commissioned her to assist in investigating some rather unusual cases.
The business rivalry between Silco and Renata was just a small part of it.
Incidents like industrial espionage, disappearances, and unauthorized smuggling of Hextech and Chemtech were occurring frequently.
She even helped Sheriff Grayson crack a case involving Noxian war masons spying for information.
War masons were Noxus's cunning scouts, engineers, and warriors.
In addition to overseeing the construction of roads, bridges, and defensive structures, they often worked alone to gather intelligence deep within enemy territory.
After taking a short break, Caitlyn sat up straight again, picked up her cup, took a sip of the now-cooled tea, and began to review another case file related to the war masons.
If a cockroach appeared in the sunlight, it meant that there were too many hiding in the dark.
Sheriff Grayson, along with the council, attached great importance to this matter. The technology of Piltover must not be stolen by those belligerent Noxians.
"It seems that Swain is not a good character either. Shortly after the end of the war with Ionia, he dispatched war masons abroad without stabilizing the domestic situation," Caitlyn's gaze swiftly moved between the lines, occasionally jotting down notes, and then writing a few words in her notebook.
The pendulum of the clock in the room ticked away.
After some time passed, there was a knock on the door of the office.
"Please come in, the door is unlocked."
With a slight creak of the door hinge, two sets of footsteps entered the room.
"Is there anything you'd like to consult?" Caitlyn said without looking up.
The footsteps approached gradually, eventually stopping in front of the desk, but neither person spoke.
Caitlyn felt a little strange and couldn't help but look up.
It wasn't until she saw the face she had been longing for that her sapphire-blue eyes widened slightly, and she covered her mouth in astonishment, exclaiming, "Li Lin!"
(End of this chapter)
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