CHAPTER 243: CHAPTER 238 LADY KAROL’S BEAUTY TRAP_2

Yan Xing discovered an acquaintance inside. Is that... isn’t that Li Jiya?

In the magic image, Li Jiya wore a goose-yellow, deep-V Royal Court dress, her hair styled in the current fashion. A ruby necklace adorned her white neck, its sparkling diamond pendant inevitably drawing one’s gaze to that suggestive spot.

The Li Jiya here was very different from the one Yan Xing had seen in the tavern.

By comparison, it was obvious that Li Jiya had made subtle alterations to her appearance to blend into the common crowd. It was these subtle disguises that significantly altered her apparent beauty. She even looked like a completely different person.

Yan Xing confirmed through Chui Chui that this was indeed Li Jiya.

This just became very interesting...

Lady Karol noticed that when Yan Xing flipped to Li Jiya’s page, he stopped and didn’t flip any further, the corners of her mouth revealing an almost imperceptible smile.

Since the first time she saw Li Jiya, Karol had known that her beauty was her strongest weapon. As long as Li Jiya knew how to use it, she could become the most powerful spy.

Due to the intelligence leak at the Assassin’s Guild, Li Jiya was obliged by procedure to withdraw from receiving the Elf Envoys. But Karol didn’t believe Li Jiya’s identity had been compromised. She thought it a great pity to let her remain idle and decided instead to plant her as an agent by Yan Xing’s side.

The profiles of these noble ladies had indeed been carefully selected by Karol. Their sole purpose was to serve as a foil for Li Jiya, like green leaves accentuating the brilliance of a flower, all to make Yan Xing believe he had picked her out himself.

So Li Jiya was actually Lady Karol’s agent! That meant the mastermind behind the Assassin’s Guild was likely the Silvermane Principality.

As for why Chui Chui hadn’t discovered this, it was because Li Jiya wasn’t wearing the watch he had given her when this magic image was taken.

In this identity profile, Li Jiya’s full name was Li Jiya Eldovin, granddaughter of Grand Scholar Eldovin of the Silvermane Principality’s Academy of Scholars. She had once studied at the Central Shrine of the Silvermane Principality, held a priestly title, and was also an Earth Mage.

At that time, watches had only just begun to trend within the Silvermane Principality. Li Jiya hadn’t worn the watch when this magic image was taken because she was afraid of arousing Yan Xing’s suspicion. She had taken the watch off and left it at the tavern, so naturally, Chui Chui couldn’t track her.

As for these identities, Yan Xing concluded that Karol was definitely trying to fool him; after all, he had no way to verify them in the capital of the Silvermane Principality. Even if he could verify... as long as Grand Scholar Eldovin existed, assigning him a granddaughter—or the granddaughter of a collateral branch of his family—would be a simple matter.

It’s just that Li Jiya had to play Xue Jun of the Assassin’s Guild to help me find the Orc Treasury, while also using the identity of Grand Scholar Eldovin’s granddaughter to help Karol seduce me. She’s certainly busy. Let’s just see what happens when your two identities confront my two identities.

So, Yan Xing stopped looking through the other noble ladies’ profiles. He singled out Li Jiya’s and asked Karol directly, "This Miss Eldovin is truly beautiful; I like her very much. If she comes to Nuta City, I will ensure she feels like a princess."

Seeing Yan Xing finally take the bait, Karol took Li Jiya’s profile. "So, it’s Li Jiya... She’s currently pursued by countless noble scions, and she grows more beautiful by the day. Perhaps soon, I’ll have to relinquish my title as the most beautiful woman in the Silvermane Principality to her. If you like her, I’ll invite her to visit Nuta City in my name. I’m sure Li Jiya will do me this favor. The rest will be up to you to handle well. After all, Grand Scholar Eldovin is highly esteemed by the Grand Duke, so I can’t presume to decide her marriage."

"I know what to do... Thank you very much."

Yan Xing smiled and raised his glass to Karol.

Karol smiled and clinked glasses with Yan Xing.

Afterward, Karol did not discuss anything else with Yan Xing; her objective had been achieved.

Money, women... A two-pronged approach to slowly dismantle the alliance between Yan Xing and Count Theodore. Once they were separated, she could defeat them one by one.

Karol talked a great deal with Yan Xing about Li Jiya’s life in the capital of the Silvermane Principality, solidifying his impression of Li Jiya as a noble young lady and crafting an image of a perfect, innocent woman.

Karol didn’t believe Yan Xing could see through the identity she had designed for Li Jiya. She could tell Yan Xing didn’t understand human society. Although he was a lord with his own attendants, his treatment of them differed greatly from that of a true human noble.

Who ever heard of a noble saying ’thank you’ to their own servant? Yet Karol had heard Yan Xing say ’thank you’ to his subordinates and servants more than once. That ’thank you’ wasn’t intentional; he simply didn’t realize there was anything improper about saying it.

Yan Xing had received a good education, but it certainly wasn’t one imparted by ’humans’. Therefore, he definitely wouldn’t be able to see through Li Jiya’s identity.

Unless he has met Li Jiya. But how could he possibly go to such a remote tavern, a place only the lowest dregs of society would frequent?

While discussing Li Jiya, Karol also continually probed for the secrets of the Thunderous Swamp. She wanted to know about the powerful alchemist group hidden deep within the swamp—what kind of existence were they?

Those alchemical luxury goods were each exquisitely crafted. Now, they might even be capable of producing two hundred thousand sets of cotton-padded clothes and quilts within a month.

Does the Thunderous Swamp have so many garment workers, so much fabric, and so much cotton? Why does aerial reconnaissance of the Thunderous Swamp reveal nothing?

And then there was Yan Xing’s Eternal Domain. Intelligence from all channels indicated it was an incredibly magical domain. Its style was completely different from this world. The ordinary subjects of the domain actually lived better lives than the common nobles of the Silvermane Principality.

In response to Karol’s probing, Yan Xing simply fed her nonsense.

"My domain? I’ll build it however I want. My subjects? I’ll give them whatever I want..."

Yan Xing and Karol ate and drank, chatting like candid old friends.

The Thunderous Swamp embassy remained magnificently lit, making other parts of the city appear even dimmer in contrast.

「At this moment, Li Jiya was in the simple hut behind her tavern, packing her few belongings.」

A new mission had arrived. It caught her somewhat off guard.

To use her beauty to seduce Yan Xing, sow discord between him and Count Theodore, and uncover the secrets of the Eternal Domain and the Thunderous Swamp.

This wasn’t her area of expertise at all. She was a thief, one who moved in the shadows. Her exceptional beauty had always been a disadvantage for an outstanding thief, so she had tried many ways to make her appearance more common and unremarkable.

And now... Lady Karol was actually asking her to display her beauty and charm, to make a man become infatuated with her and reveal his secrets.

Li Jiya had no idea what to do. She was also inwardly repulsed by the thought of having to sell her body. But she was an agent of the Silvermane Principality, and Lady Karol was now her direct superior. An order was an order, and it had to be obeyed!

Lady Karol had ordered Li Jiya to move to Rose Court that very evening. For the next period, she would undergo personal training from Lady Karol.

To transform into a noble young lady in such a short time was no simple task.

Packing her few linen clothes, Li Jiya couldn’t help but recall a few days ago when she had received a mission and been summoned to Rose Court to have a magic image taken. With the help of handmaidens, she had put on a magnificent gown that only noble young ladies were qualified to wear. The jewelry she wore was likely worth more than she could earn in a lifetime of running the tavern.

Standing before the mirror—one that could only be bought from the Eternal Commerce Guild—Li Jiya had been stunned by her own reflection. Lady Karol’s words echoed in her ears: "A thief doesn’t just hide in the darkness. A true thief can stand under the blazing sun, and people still won’t discover their identity.

"Your task is to steal Yan Xing’s heart. Make him fall for you, make him unable to tear himself away, make him listen to everything you say, and make him confide his all to you.

"Tell me everything you see and hear."