"Cough, cough, cough…"
"Miss Bai, you must be joking. Although our Lianyi House is involved in many fields, everything we do is honest business."
Elara looked at the coughing Manager Yang across from her. "I don't need spies to gather information for me, and I don't need anyone taking risks. I just need someone to help Miss Bai with small things at critical moments in the future, just simple support within your means."
Manager Yang was still coughing, though more softly now, and his face looked troubled. "Miss Bai, this is really too…"
Elara continued, "As long as Lianyi House is willing to help, I'll write down each step and method of solving the current problem clearly. That way, you can understand everything. If you're interested in the solving techniques later, you can send someone to find me. I'm willing to teach."
Of course, whether they could learn such advanced mathematics from thousands of years in the future would depend entirely on them.
Manager Yang finally stopped coughing and looked at Elara again. The troubled look in his eyes turned into one of anticipation. "Miss Bai, you would carefully teach your methods?"
Elara nodded. "Yes, I would teach it in detail."
Manager Yang stared at her face for a few seconds. Then, a smile returned to his old face. He stroked his beard and bowed to Elara.
"Since Miss Bai is even willing to offer such a valuable method, then naturally Lianyi House will not treat you unfairly."
"But I don't dare make this decision alone. I'll write a letter about this and the shop you mentioned before, and send it to the two young masters. You'll have a reply by tomorrow night. How does that sound?"
Elara looked at Manager Yang, whose expression had changed so smoothly, and noticed the smile on his face. She understood that this matter was almost settled.
She stood up and returned the gesture. "Then I'll trouble you, Uncle Yang."
Manager Yang laughed heartily again and quickly stood up to support her. "No trouble at all. It's all because Miss Bai is so wise. Gaining your method is a great blessing for Lianyi House."
After the deal was made, they exchanged some polite words. Then Elara left Lianyi House with Uno.
Once outside the gate, Elara turned to look at the tall building that stood out in Plumera's capital. Thinking about how Manager Yang's attitude had shifted, she reassessed the power behind Lianyi House.
She had asked for the spies under someone as powerful as Lord Gregory. Manager Yang had played dumb at first, but in the end, he agreed without even asking why she wanted spies from one of Plumera State's top ministers. It was like he didn't care how she would use the information or what she planned to do with it.
Manager Yang was just a steward of Lianyi House, yet he had that kind of confidence. Elara could only guess that the true master behind Lianyi House belonged to at least a second-tier country, and a very strong one.
Only someone like that would dare hand over a spy from a third-tier nation's royal court just for a method of solving a math problem.
Even if Plumera was one of the weakest among third-tier nations, showing such confidence wasn't something ordinary powers could do.
The two young men she had met last time in Lianyi House were probably part of the real power behind it. She still didn't know which country they were from.
Thinking about it, Elara pulled her gaze back.
Forget it. These matters were still far from her reach. She needed to focus on solving the problem in front of her first.
The Yang Residence
Angry yelling, servants screaming and begging for mercy, and the sound of things being smashed came from the master bedroom.
Lord Gregory had just reached the hallway when he saw two bloodied servants stumbling and crawling out of the room, faces full of panic. Inside, Damon was still shouting furiously.
The servant who had brought Lord Gregory here looked nervous and lowered his head.
"Please forgive us, Lord Gregory. Ever since the master was… brought down from the city wall, he was unconscious for a full day. After he woke up, his injuries were still serious, and his temper has been very bad."
Lord Gregory raised his hand, signaling the servant to leave.
The servant hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly stepped back.
Lord Gregory pushed the door open. A porcelain bowl smashed to the ground in front of him. Damon, still raging, was about to scold whoever dared to enter. But when he looked up and saw it was Lord Gregory, his furious face froze.
He quickly forced himself to calm down, struggling to sit up from the bed and gave a salute.
"Please forgive me, Lord Gregory. I was rude and didn't know it was you. I'm still badly injured and lost my temper when I saw the servants being lazy. I apologize for letting you witness such a scene."
Looking at those terrified servants with blood on their faces, it was clear they hadn't been slacking off. But since Damon said so, Lord Gregory didn't argue. He wasn't interested in such trivial things.
He slowly walked over to Damon's bed. His personal guard brought over a chair immediately.
"How are your injuries?" Lord Gregory sat down and faced him.
Damon's face twisted for a moment. The whipping he suffered publicly on the city tower had become one of the greatest humiliations of his life.
Ever since he woke up and felt the burning pain of his wounds, he couldn't stop remembering how he had been tied to the wall and whipped in front of everyone. His anger had grown worse.
These days, even the slightest mistake from a servant would get them violently beaten or even killed. The number of bodies carried out from the Yang residence had increased. Even the mass grave outside the city had piled up higher.
"Thank you for your concern, Lord Gregory. I'm… much better," Damon answered, clearly annoyed.
Lord Gregory didn't take offense. In fact, he slightly smiled at Damon's bitter and angry face.
"You shouldn't be so angry. Elara and Benedict are still sitting on the throne and acting as the Emperor and Princess of Plumera. If they really wanted to humiliate someone, even if I tried to stop them, I wouldn't be able to fully go against them."
Damon's face twitched with suppressed hatred. For years, he had followed Lord Gregory and had seen how all the ministers in Plumera bowed to him. In his eyes, Elara and Benedict were nothing. Just puppets under Lord Gregory's control.
And yet those same puppets dared to lay hands on him! And humiliate him like that!
Feeling the burning pain on his body, the memory of being whipped in front of the public returned. The hatred in his heart deepened. His eyes even started to show a killing intent.
His chest heaved twice. He lowered his voice and said to Lord Gregory,
"Lord Gregory, everyone knows by now that you are the true power behind Plumera. Why do you still let those two brats sit on top? That position should have changed a long time ago!"
Lord Gregory's eyelids lifted. He saw the hatred and killing intent in Damon's eyes and gave a cold laugh.
"You think this is something that can be done whenever I want? I've been waiting for the right moment."
"What moment?" Damon asked eagerly.
Lord Gregory picked up a cup of tea and took a sip before calmly answering,
"A moment that can help you get revenge. And that moment has now arrived. I came here today to see if you have the guts to take it."
Damon's face, twisted with hatred, calmed for a second when he heard the word "revenge." But right after, he didn't look excited or impatient. Instead, he fell silent.
After a while, he looked at Lord Gregory cautiously and asked,
"So… does this mean the connection between those two siblings and the northern protector is finally broken?"
Though Damon hated them deeply and never saw Elara and Benedict as anything, he knew there had always been someone behind them.
For years, no matter how much Lord Gregory hinted at it, no one really dared to touch the siblings. They were controlled but not truly harmed.
In time, Damon understood why. There was someone protecting them—most likely the quiet yet powerful regent in the north.
That's also why Damon had swallowed his pride all these years. Even when he was publicly whipped on the wall, he didn't fight back.
But just days ago, Lord Gregory still didn't act because of that man. So why today?
The more Damon thought about it, the less joy he felt from the idea of revenge. Instead, doubt and caution filled his mind.
Lord Gregory gave him a side glance. Seeing how Damon quickly hid his anger and became wary, he let out a cold laugh.
"You've learned a few things over the years. But the fact that I came to you today shows that things have changed. I remembered the disgrace you suffered, so I came to offer you a chance for revenge.
"But seeing your expression now… I guess I won't waste more time here."
With a loud sound, Lord Gregory set down the tea cup and stood