Chapter 445: Plans

Night.

Cuisi lay on the floor, listening to her mother's suppressed coughing from the bed nearby, and slowly drifted into a dream.

Ever since her father went bankrupt and jumped to his death, she and her mother had moved out of the big house in the Green George District and rented a single room in the slums.

At that time, her mother had entered a factory, but before long, she was dismissed due to a lung disease; from then on, she could only scrape by at home by pasting matchboxes and washing laundry for others, and her income was quite unstable.

After Cuisi went out to "work," the family situation improved slightly, but there was no major improvement.

She had always wanted to save some money to pay for her mother's medical treatment, but unfortunately... recently, another batch of female workers had been laid off, the income of streetwalkers continued to decline, and she still had to cope with the extortion from those Tax Officers of the Empire and the blackmail of gangs, so there really wasn't much money left.

For people in the slums, "savings" was just a word that sounded nice, equivalent to "dreams."

Aaron got up and stretched: "The sun is nice today."

'But He is clearly not the Sun God... I will definitely be burned to death by the Inquisition, right?'

Cuisi's mother was startled, a relaxed expression appearing on her face: "Yes... I feel much better today, and I don't feel like coughing anymore. Cuisi, what's wrong with you?"

She saw the tears on her daughter's face and could not help but be surprised.

"So... do you have any specific ideas?" Mr. Remington lit a cigarette for himself, his expression unreadable.

'Getting involved with the extraordinary is not a good thing either.'

After all, Cuisi had received an education when she was young, and she thought of many things in an instant.

Bang!

Cuisi's limbs went stiff, and she woke up: "So... it was a dream!"

"It is just a trivial insight." Aaron appeared very polite.

It was not to collect any price, he just wanted to do it, so he did it.

Aaron did not refuse; he came to the dining table to enjoy breakfast with the Remington couple, took the opportunity to discuss the direction and trends of coal stocks with Mr. Remington, and received an unexpected look from the other party.

She raised her head and saw a tall figure shrouded in mist.

Cuisi felt her thinking was a bit sluggish, like the slight intoxication after drinking.

"Of course, I wish you success!" Mr. Remington stubbed out his cigarette, watched Aaron get up and leave, and complained to Remington Tai Tai: "I have seen many ignorant and arrogant guys... but this Mr. Para is really beyond my imagination. He still doesn't understand the weight of an Empire Lord... Once, a big businessman spent hundreds of thousands of pounds just for a title of honorary lord, and in the end, he still didn't succeed..."

Fog...

Aaron revealed a hint of a confident smile: "Business activities are always full of challenges, aren't they?"

That tall figure spoke slowly.

Cuisi's mother's illness was naturally healed by him.

"Nothing, I'm just too happy."

'If I suddenly gave her a large sum of money, it would bring trouble instead.'

This belonged to an invitation, not the paid kind.

"Well, I heard that Lord Fanier is preparing to host a ball, and I want to get an invitation first." Aaron stated his plan: "It is said that many nobles and members of high society will attend that ball. If I can get in, there should be quite a few benefits."

Mr. Remington exclaimed in admiration.

Early morning.

But accompanied by the echo of that "one wish," she gritted her teeth, and her expression gradually became firm: "I want my mother to recover her health!"

Cuisi began to make breakfast, and looking at her mother who was clearing off the workbench to use as a dining table, she suddenly discovered a difference: "Mom... your cough?"

A falling sensation came.

"I am going to see Mrs. Ma Li; perhaps there is some accumulated laundry that needs washing..."

In a daze, Cuisi drifted into a dream.

In a numb and desperate life, even a straw is worth grasping.

The Remington couple's home.

Of course, out of Invis-style gentlemanly restraint, he did not show it.

"Then... you came to Plymouth mainly to expand your business?" Mr. Remington said enthusiastically: "I can introduce you to a few merchant clubs; they also have a certain demand for building materials."

The next day.

'And doing it to this extent is enough...'

"Mr. Para, good morning. I made sandwiches and coffee for breakfast." Remington Tai Tai greeted him warmly: "Would you like to join us?"

"Thank you, but this time I am mainly here to scout for ways to enter high society."

Cuisi felt that as long as this wish could be realized, even if she had to pay a heavy price, it would be acceptable.

"Hmm."

It was as if she heard a whisper in her ear...

"This is difficult, very difficult." Mr. Remington's forehead furrowed, bringing out deep wrinkles: "I have seen many big businessmen spend a lot of cost trying to squeeze into that circle, but the endings were all failures, and they went bankrupt quickly... People in the high-society circle are very exclusionary. Without a noble or church background, it is hard to gain their recognition."

Aaron wore a black trench coat, put on his hat, and walked down the stairs.

Gray-white fog...

Aaron said frankly: "You know, in the current Empire, if you want to do big business, you can't do it without those connections."

"Mr. Para, your vision truly makes me admire you. You must be a successful businessman."

"One wish!"

Even in business, the younger sons of nobles and those with connections to the church have more advantages than ordinary people!

"One has to try, at least."

"I met a kind gentleman today. Although he looks a bit fierce, he is unexpectedly kind-hearted..."

Cuisi's mother said while getting up.

Countless mists surrounded him, circling and swirling at the edges of that gray robe...

"In folklore, those who make deals with unknown entities or make wishes to the Lady of the Lake and the Magic Lamp never meet a good end, for they are disguises of the Demon..."

"Is... is this the Legendary... god?"

She glanced at her mother lying on the bed; it seemed like an illusion, but she felt her mother's breathing had become much steadier, and the rattling noise from the thick phlegm gathered in her chest seemed to have vanished.

"You are far too kind."

The tall Shadow did not answer, simply transforming into boundless gray mist and dissipating.

Possessing power is for the sake of living as one pleases; if one wants to do evil, they do evil, and if one wants to do good, they do good; there is no need for any reason, it is simply acting according to one's heart.

He seemed to be reminiscing about the glorious times of his youth, yet also appeared to hold a trace of mockery for Aaron's overestimation of his own abilities.

Cuisi turned around, continuing to cook the oat bread, silently saying in her heart: "Thank you... unknown entity... you have granted my wish, and no matter the cost, I am willing to bear it."

Countless echoes reverberated in Cuisi's mind: "One wish, one wish, one wish..."

"I think... Mr. Para might not even last a month in the Imperial Capital before having to slink back to the countryside."

Mrs. Remington asked worriedly: "Should we refund a portion of the rent?"

(End of this chapter)