Within the courtyard attached to the princess's quarters in Star Luo City, two figures sat on opposite sides of a white round table, enjoying afternoon tea.
One was naturally Liu Xiaoxiao, while the other was Bai Ming of Silver Rose.
"I thought you would send that secretary from the Leng Family," Liu Xiaoxiao said.
"Since I was visiting a Sage, I naturally had to come in person." Bai Ming's gaze flickered slightly.
"Don't underestimate my intelligence-gathering abilities." Liu Xiaoxiao gave a short laugh. "Stopping by to see me was merely convenient for you. Your real objective was Silver Rose's influence on the Star Luo Continent, wasn't it?"
Bai Ming's eyes flickered. She picked up her teacup without saying anything further.
"The Masquerade Ball collapsed barely over a year ago, yet your Silver Rose has already taken over nearly ninety percent of the Star Luo Empire's upper-class social network. If you call that mere coincidence, it is far too convenient a coincidence." Liu Xiaoxiao smiled. "It seems you had some sort of agreement that allowed you to take over everything so smoothly. Before they acted, they had already prepared a contingency for failure—or rather, a way out."
Bai Ming said nothing. She set down her teacup and summoned the maid waiting nearby to refill it.
Liu Xiaoxiao glanced at the maid. "Rose Girls' Academy has always had relatively close ties with the Star Luo Empire's nobility, including maid internships. The housekeeping department is the only department at Rose Girls' Academy that accepts students without family backgrounds, and of the many maids it has trained over the years, quite a number have found employment in noble households of the Star Luo Empire.
"After the Masquerade Ball nobles left, those maids were each assigned to different jobs. There was no sign of unemployment