Chapter 481: The Hypocrite
Xu Huo understood this very well. Someone like Duke Tal only held the empty title of duke; in reality, he had less power than his wife. The Duke's family had few outstanding elite players, while his wife's family, originally a third-rate noble house, had produced several exceptionally talented players. Duke Tal's family had placed an early bet by arranging the marriage alliance. Now, the nephews and nieces of the Duchess's brothers either held high-level player status or occupied key positions in the 011 District Government. As a result, it was usually the Duchess who handled external affairs.
For someone like Duke Tal, his greatest contribution to his family might simply be increasing the population, hoping to cultivate a few talented individuals in the next generation.
"To truly build a connection with the nobility, you have to get close to the real elites," Ran Ying said with a sigh. "Unfortunately, my background isn't great. Even though I've made contributions in the Black Epaulets, I'm not highly valued."
Hearing this, Xu Huo said, "I haven't congratulated you on your promotion and raise yet."
Ran Ying smiled slightly. "Thank you. You just came out of an instance, right? Are you free? Want to grab a meal together later?"
Xu Huo was about to answer when the smoking room door opened again, and a woman in a golden dress entered. The moment she saw Ran Ying, she paused. "Black Epaulets?"
"Duchess," Ran Ying said, clearly recognizing her. "I'm Ran Ying, squad leader of the Black Epaulets."
"Oh, it's you." The Duchess lit a long, slim cigarette and walked over to sit down. "You're here following that idiot Tal again, aren't you? A young woman like you, with a bright future ahead—why get mixed up with someone like him?"
Ran Ying smiled. "You flatter me, Your Grace. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave."
Ran Ying turned back to Xu Huo, pointed at her communicator, and left first. Xu Huo followed her out but didn't leave; instead, he closed the door.
The Duchess heard his footsteps and turned around. "You're not with the Black Epaulets?"
Xu Huo smiled faintly. "You look completely different from how you were at the welfare home, Your Grace."
The Duchess studied him for a moment before saying, "You've changed your face? Ah, I remember now. You're the one who suggested firing the director. I heard he was terrified after leaving the welfare home and moved his family out of the main district overnight. Was that your doing?"
Xu Huo sat down across from her. "I just gave him a warning. I didn't expect him to be such a coward."
The Duchess held her cigarette, staring at him. "Players have privileges in this world. He had no choice but to be afraid."
"Did you pick out this tasteless outfit yourself?"
"You might not like hearing this," Xu Huo said, "but it was your husband."
"That stupid pig?" The Duchess's voice turned displeased. "You know him?"
"I inherited my uncle's Rose Castle. Duke Tal and my uncle had a connection," Xu Huo explained.
"Rose Castle... a lovely place. He Pu was a charming man too." The Duchess's red lips curved beneath her golden mask. "I wonder if his nephew measures up."
"What do you think, Your Grace?" Xu Huo asked.
"Hard to say." The Duchess took a drag of her cigarette. "Men change. Before we married, Tal was still presentable. A few years later, he went completely downhill. A man with no brains who loses his looks and physique is no different from a dead man."
Xu Huo laughed. "Your Grace has rather harsh standards for men."
The Duchess laughed too. "What does gender have to do with it? Men and women are the same."
As she spoke, she tilted her head to study his jawline. "Is that your real face now?"
"Genuine, no question," Xu Huo said. The woman across from him crossed her legs, revealing a pale calf that swayed gently. "Hiding in here—not interested in the club's performances?"
Xu Huo showed a hint of disgust. "I'm more curious why anyone would be interested in that kind of performance. Isn't there enough bloodshed and violence in the game?"
"Because they're useless people," the Duchess said flatly. "They lack the ability to enter real instances and lack the courage to face real players. So they come to places like this to get their kicks. Watching players with their limbs removed being tortured to death—maybe it salvages their inferiority complex about not being players themselves."
"I heard your brothers are players."
"Fourteen brothers and cousins. Less than a third survived." The Duchess stopped swinging her leg, her expression indicating she didn't want to continue this topic.
Xu Huo paused, then took out the "Noblewoman's Folding Fan" from his game panel. "A small token of appreciation."
This item had been sitting in his panel ever since he obtained it. He had tried using it a few times but couldn't figure out how. Its description was merely a simple line: "A popular silk folding fan favored by high society, said to be the beloved possession of a high-ranking official's lover."
Not knowing its use, perhaps it was better suited for a woman.
The fan was made of silk, embroidered with interwoven gold and silver threads. Under the light, it shimmered brightly but not harshly.
The Duchess's eyes locked onto the fan and didn't leave. A delighted smile spread across her face. "It matches my dress perfectly."
[Noblewoman's Folding Fan: A gift that can be given an unlimited number of times. Only when the recipient genuinely accepts it can the sincerely gifting holder gain a 5% favorability bonus from the recipient.]
When the fan was handed to the Duchess, a notification popped up in Xu Huo's personal panel.
Compared to the 5% favorability value, the true value of this item lay in its ability to determine whether someone genuinely accepted a gift. In the Duchess's case, if he had given it to Bai Kou, her first thought would likely have been suspicion.
"Thank you, I love it." The Duchess's smile deepened. "After He Pu's death, his title should rightfully pass to you."
Xu Huo just smiled. "I don't place much importance on the title. But I think having a status in District 011 would be convenient. I want to go into charity work."
The Duchess was genuinely surprised. "You? Charity?"
Generally, unless required by their family, no player would bother with such thankless work. Fighting in and out of instances—no amount of compassion could withstand that.
"Doing what good I can," Xu Huo said. "I'm an orphan too. Seeing children who've lost their parents and family stirs some sympathy. If I don't know about it, that's one thing. But if it's right in front of me, I can't pretend not to see it."
The Duchess's eyes flickered. "That's the truth."
"Calling it charity is a bit grand. It's really just giving some supplies and money to help them grow up. There's not much else to do." Xu Huo sighed, then added, "Even the game doesn't take very young children into instances. As predecessors who are already in this hell, it's our duty to do what we can."
"Yes," the Duchess agreed. "The newborns are the future."
(Chapter End)