Upon hearing her aunt's assessment of the "gang team," Ave's golden hair courageously poked its head out from above.

She felt her aunt's words were somewhat biased.

First of all, her aunt grew up in the Imperial Capital, always mingling with the aristocracy of high society, and later became the Queen, never truly encountering lowly thugs in her entire life.

But Ave has seen them, and has seen quite a few.

In a border town like Ximu Town, the most abundant people are delinquents; she has dealt with everything from drunken brawlers to genuine gang members and can confidently assure her aunt that lowly thugs are definitely not like them.

"Aunt, I think you're wrong."

The golden hair that poked out gave Ave courage. She felt as she spent more time with Ethan and the others, she became braver, and now she dared to defy her aunt.

She actually feared her aunt more than her father.

Her noble etiquette was taught by her aunt, and most of the parent meetings at the Enlightenment Society were attended by her aunt. Throughout her upbringing, her aunt's meticulous care forged a cycle of affection and fear.

Ave corrected, "To be accurate, we should be called a crime syndicate."

!?

She could hear the hurried breathing on the other end of the line. Evidently, her aunt was shocked speechless by her remarks. This momentary silence emboldened Ave, as she recalled their experiences in Ophira, adding, "And an international crime syndicate."

If viewed differently as Ethan suggested...

Miss Lindong and Miss Rowena were once the Empire's top fugitives, Sister Bi'an was the Broken Oath Knight of the Neseriel Sanctuary, and Ethan murdered the branch manager of the Imperial Reserve in Ximu Town.

And in Ophira?

Manipulating votes, brainwashing local officials, leveraging minority status to gain bargaining advantages in diplomatic negotiations—these were tactics Ave had newly learned.

If Pope Julius were still alive, he'd surely judge them as an Evil God faction, making even traditional Evil God groups like Dream Erosion pale by comparison.

"Fine, you're an international crime syndicate."

Her aunt's tone allowed Ave to easily imagine her aunt's face turning white with anger, even guessing her internal thoughts.

——If I don't intervene in the coming days, the child will tear down the house!

"Ave-Margaret!"

"Here!"

"Report to the Royal Palace the night you return!"

This naughty child, it appears she needs a good refresher on noble etiquette.

The call ended, and Ave's little heart pounded vigorously. She anticipated the scenario of cramming noble etiquette but wasn't afraid at all; instead, she felt a peculiar thrill. Her face remained expressionless, yet the corners of her mouth inadvertently curled upward.

For a noble young lady, the satisfaction of a successful prank was always unfamiliar and thrilling.

Ave suspected this subtle emotion stemmed from the golden hair on her head, which had already started celebrating, shaking to the point of creating afterimages.

Ave-Margaret, you should reflect on your behavior.

A stiff voice echoed in her mind, puppeteering her thoughts and actions like a marionette since she could remember. Whenever it appeared, intense headaches and dizziness would follow.

Her mind was blank, her body controlled by invisible strings.

Yet this time, she felt no pain; it seemed the strings suspending her had long snapped unnoticed, and the cold reminder had no effect. Ave didn't want to reflect on her words; instead, she grinned, forming an eerie smile.

So eerie that even the Little Octopus on the bedside table was startled, covering its eyes with its tentacles.

What's up with this girl?

Why is her mouth the only thing smiling on her face?

She looked like an iron man made by Ophira's craftsmen!

Ave refused to reflect on her mistakes, her rebellious emotions surging from deep within, casting a different light on her outrageous actions.

It is what it is!

Encouraged by the golden hair, she hugged a pillow, rolling around on the bed.

The Little Octopus was so frightened it dared not move, contemplating whether to report to Old Sen—this girl has gone mad. It admitted Ave's behavior now resembles those humans it had bewitched, but this had nothing to do with it! It could guarantee with its tentacles!

"Ouch!"

Ave's antics ceased with a cry of surprise.

Clearly, in the matter of frolicking on the bed, she was completely inexperienced, thus misjudged the rolling distance, and accidentally fell off the bed. After crawling up from the floor, her smile vanished, reverting to her usual expressionless demeanor.

Then, she clutched her waist with one hand, slapped the golden hair with the other, frowning as she gingerly climbed back into bed, tightly wrapping herself in blankets, showing only her back to Aelium.

The Little Octopus watched Ave for a moment, wondering if the girl was so pained she spilled little pearls.

...

Ave was superficially serious, secretly enjoying craziness.

The Little Octopus gained deeper insight into Ave.

It was also part of the team. Following its mother's advice, it should foster good relations with its companions—this is the first step in integrating into the team.

Aelium thought Old Sen was a great and highly charismatic figure, unmatched even by the Master of Tides in this regard. Ever since having heart-to-heart conversations with Old Sen, it found that its mother's temper improved greatly, showing patience and hardly nagging incessantly at its ear.

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