Over the next few days, Lux, with her guards, made a large detour around Silvermere.
During the day, she traveled through the mountains and fields.
At night, she sought lodging with farmers.
Lux saw another world, a completely different world.
Initially, everything felt new, interesting, and a bit embarrassing to her.
But as she saw more and more, she finally felt no novelty, no interest, and no embarrassment.
A week later, she seemed to have truly become a Hunter's daughter—she no longer subconsciously maintained etiquette, could casually drink water from a broken bowl, and didn't suffer from insomnia due to the smell and dampness of the bedding.
At the same time, she could finally answer the question Klein had posed earlier.
If possible, every farmer wished to become a noble.
The reasons were varied.
Perhaps it was the raspberry dessert the noble lord had before meals, which required farmers to pick it deep in the mountains.
Perhaps it was the fuel for the noble lord's fireplace, which never needed careful calculation of consumption.
Perhaps the noble lord's inconspicuous guard was the farmer's proudest son.
Perhaps the patterned carpet beneath the noble lord's feet cost countless sleepless nights.
Lux had once genuinely believed that the rights and obligations of nobles and commoners were equal—and that, compared to crude commoners, nobles were more elegant, composed, and loved Demacia more, willing to sacrifice for it.
However, the reality was that in every aspect, the lives of commoners were incomparable to those of nobles.
Even in War, it was the same—although it was said that noble scions had to join the army, and many died for the country, the number of commoners who died in War was still far greater than nobles.
It was just that very few of their bodies were sent to Hallvalor.
To Demacia, they came to the battlefield 'voluntarily'.
This realization greatly impacted Lux's worldview; she had never imagined that everything nobles prided themselves on was built upon the hard work of commoners, and everything nobles took for granted was unattainable for commoners.
The more she interacted and understood, the more ashamed Lux felt—ashamed of her former self-righteousness, and even ashamed of being a noble.
When her guards reminded her that too much time had passed and they had to return, Lux finally understood what Klein meant by the 'fundamental problem'.
At this moment, thinking of the vast disparity between Demacia's farmers and nobles, she even had the thought that 'farmers shouldn't have to pay taxes at all'.
Realizing this, Lux herself was stunned.
"How can this be?" Lux murmured, "Klein, I seem to understand something now, but also not quite..."
"Because you've seen a new contradiction, one you never discovered before," Klein said calmly. "That's the contradiction between nobles and commoners."
"Does that really count as a contradiction?" Lux's tone was uncertain. "I only saw envy and longing."
"That's because this contradiction isn't sharp yet, and hasn't erupted—it's always existed, like those Petricite absorbing magic, waiting for an opportunity," Klein continued. "And taxation is one of the most direct points of conflict."
"But the problem is, I don't even know which side I should stand on now!" Lux pulled at her straw hat. "I... I always thought things shouldn't be this way!"
"Things really shouldn't be this way," Klein affirmed. "Some people haven't discovered this, and some turn a blind eye to it."
"If what you say is true, then if they reduced taxes on farmers, this matter would truly be troublesome," Lux couldn't help but sigh. "It's a good thing I saw all of this."
"So, have you found a solution?"
"The fundamental contradiction... I haven't found it yet," Lux admitted honestly. "But for the current situation, I'm ready."
"Oh? Tell me?"
"Actually, it no longer matters whether the nobles reduced taxes before," a confident smile reappeared on Lux's face. "The whole matter can be divided into two parts!"
"How into two parts?"
"For the farmers, promote a portion of them as retainers and knights, give them the opportunity to become nobles, and have them specifically responsible for this matter!" Lux clearly grasped the key point. "For the nobles, deal with those who violate the law, announce their crimes, and punish them publicly to warn everyone!"
"Very clever, Lux," Klein's tone was full of admiration. "Using power to curb contradictions, winning over some and dealing with others. I thought you'd think about it for a bit longer!"
"I'm not that naive! I can distinguish between purpose and method!" Lux said proudly. "And, I've also realized that you're guiding me to be among the farmers, to look at problems from the commoners' perspective!"
"So?"
"So even if I haven't found a solution yet—" Lux's tone was full of confidence, "—I'll find a way sooner or later!"
"Is that so?" Klein chuckled. "Then let's continue to watch—don't blame me for not warning you, Lux, so far, you've only seen the most gentle superficiality."
"?"
"When the years are peaceful, contradictions will hide their sharpness, but when conflict erupts, you will find that everything will become crazy," Klein said meaningfully. "Are you ready?"
"Always ready!"
......
Meanwhile, while Lux was doing her rural research, Gao Kan also finally arrived at Vellos Town at full speed.
To win over Lux, Gao Kan had made extensive preparations.
First, he used his 'money power' to book the room next to Lux's team, and chose a sunny afternoon to play the harp on the balcony.
Gao Kan hoped to meet Lux as a fellow music lover.
But unfortunately, there was no sound from the adjacent rooms—even though it was a good day for sunbathing, Lux's room window was not open.
Gao Kan wasn't discouraged; that evening by the fireplace, he began playing again by the fire, but still, there was no response.
Making friends through music seemed to be a dead end.
Gao Kan changed his approach and began drawing portraits for people on the street outside Lux's window.
He deliberately chose a perfect angle, aiming all his works towards the second-floor window.
But after drawing for three whole days, Gao Kan was almost sick of it, and Lux's window remained shut.
Gao Kan finally realized something was wrong this time—no matter how reserved Lux was, she could have sent a guard to tell him to keep his distance, as many people gathered there were somewhat noisy.
But from beginning to end, the guards showed no reaction, and even the security seemed a bit lax.
Using his 'money power' again, Gao Kan finally got an unexpected piece of news from a talkative waiter.
"The room next to yours is interesting too; they never need room service. That noble lady is truly delicate..."
Delicate?
Delicate my ass!
For so many days, the doors and windows of the adjacent room hadn't been opened, and no meals had been delivered. Unless Lux could go without eating or drinking, otherwise... there was no living person inside!
In other words, Lux wasn't next door; she had left long ago!
Where could a patient go?
Hmm, wait, a patient?
To hell with a patient, she probably wasn't sick at all!
Realizing this, Gao Kan immediately checked out and then rushed back to Silvermere.
Upon arriving home, he immediately informed his father of the news.
Dili was stunned after hearing all of this—the next moment, he quickly realized Lux's intentions.
Goodness, he thought she was a delicate lady who couldn't adapt, but it turned out she was a hidden dragon!
"It seems we need to change our approach," Dili narrowed his eyes. "When Miss Lux arrives in Silvermere, perhaps we should have a good talk with her."
"Should the plan continue?" Gao Kan finally became serious this time. "Although she's only twelve, she seems difficult to handle..."
"No, it can't continue. You shouldn't appear again, otherwise it'll be awkward if those people recognize you," Dili shook his head. "This time, we're not playing the role of a dream lover, but rather loyal new recruits."
"Loyal... new recruits?"
"Anyway, we haven't left many pawns," Dili quickly prepared the plan again. "Since Miss Lux is playing for real, then we'll give her all the evidence she wants—she must have been investigating the nearby farmlands during this time, checking for frost damage."
"So?"
"So we must offer our utmost support," a smile finally reappeared on Dili's lips. "For a naive young girl, the best way is to capture her heart; for a capable lady in power, the best way is to offer one's loyalty."
"But what about Kodora?" Gao Kan seemed somewhat incredulous about his father's decision. "That old man is not easy to deal with!"
"Trust me, our little princess is the one who's truly difficult to deal with," Dili's smile grew wider. "I heard her uncle died three years ago, and the main family doesn't seem to be very prosperous—what do you say, might she need an allegiance from a branch family?"
"This isn't your style..."
"What's my style?" Dili raised an eyebrow. "You brat, are you asking for a beating? How many times have I told you, your mother and I are true love!"
"Ah, yes, yes, yes—"
"Bastard, get me my riding whip!"