Chương 57: Chapter 56

Nina was escorted to the living room, where she saw the elderly woman she had saved. However, the moment she saw the woman's current appearance, Nina's eyes twitched slightly. The old lady was wearing an extremely luxurious outfit that almost seemed to announce: I have money. Looking around the living room, Nina noticed that, unlike the exterior of the mansion, the room itself was much more restrained. It was still luxurious, but it was not nearly as overwhelming.

As she continued observing, she realized that the elderly woman was not the only person present. There was also a young man sitting nearby. He looked at Nina with hidden suspicion and a faint trace of hostility. After quickly assessing the situation, Nina felt bored. She glanced toward the countdown. 20 days, 10 hours, 35 minutes, and 59 seconds. Nina frowned. She only needed to retrieve the material and leave. She did not have time to deal with whatever situation was happening here.

However, remembering something Mrs. Roosevelt had casually mentioned, Nina sighed. She had been told to mind her manners when meeting this family because they were nobles. Although Nina did not care about noble etiquette, she understood that some form of greeting was expected. So, she performed the greeting she was familiar with. A commoner's bow. She placed one hand against her chest before bending forward at a ninety-degree angle, waiting for the other person to allow her to rise.

As she remained in that position, Nina quietly watched from the corner of her eye as the countdown continued decreasing. It took nearly a minute before the person in front of her finally spoke.

"You may rise." After hearing that, Nina straightened herself. The elderly woman immediately approached her. She grabbed both of Nina's hands and looked into her eyes with visible emotion.

"Child, thank you for saving me that time. I am truly grateful for everything you have done." She gently squeezed Nina's hands.

"Is there anything you require in return for your help?" Nina looked at the elderly woman holding her hands and frowned slightly. However, remembering that she was supposed to respect her elders, she controlled herself and prevented her eyes from twitching. When the elderly woman had been standing farther away, Nina had not realized just how much jewelry she was wearing. Now that she was close, with the sunlight reflecting off the countless gemstones, Nina felt as though she was about to be blinded.

Still, hearing the woman's question, she quickly responded.

"I do need something." Nina looked directly into the elderly woman's eyes.

"I would like the clothes I gave you back then returned to me, if possible." The elderly woman blinked. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

"Oh... right." She quickly remembered.

"I already had my maids prepare them. They are currently being cleaned and ironed so they can be returned to you in proper condition." She paused.

"Do you happen to have the clothing that I gave you in exchange?" Nina nodded. She called upon the system and extended her hands. Slowly, the clothing appeared before her. She passed it to the elderly woman.

"Here are your clothes."

"They have been preserved, and I have cleaned them. There should be no negative effects remaining on them."

"Thank you." The elderly woman carefully examined the clothing before passing it to a servant who had appeared beside her. However, compared to the Roosevelt household, where the servants seemed to understand every movement of the family before they even acted, this was nothing impressive to Nina. After the servant left, the elderly woman grabbed Nina's hand again and guided her toward the dining room.

"Since it is already lunchtime, we might as well eat while we discuss everything." She smiled.

"I had waited for you for quite some time, and I did not expect you to arrive around lunchtime."

"While the preparations are being completed, we can eat and talk." They entered the dining hall. The elderly woman sat at the head of the table. The young man sat beside her, across from Nina. Nina was seated on the other side of the elderly woman. Soon, the food was served, and everyone was instructed to begin eating. Nina quietly looked at the meal before changing her body from its sealed state into its unsealed state. She picked up a spoon and prepared to taste the soup. However... One life lost.

Current lives: 19. Nina paused. Her mouth twitched slightly. She looked down at the soup before asking the system.

"How did my life end?"

"The soup contained poison." Nina silently placed the spoon down.

"Something wrong?" The elderly woman looked at her with genuine confusion. Nina studied her expression. This person... She has a lot of enemies.

"It's nothing." She calmly pushed the soup away.

"I simply do not feel like eating soup today."

"Really?" The elderly woman immediately looked concerned.

"Then remove it." The servants quickly cleared the soup.

"What would you like instead?"

"Fruit."

"Prepare some fruit." Soon, a plate of fruit was brought out. Some had already been cut, while others were arranged beautifully as decoration. Nina looked at the pre-cut fruit in front of her and decided not to touch it. Instead, she reached toward one of the fruits placed on the table as decoration and began peeling it herself. However, just as she was about to eat it... One life lost. Current lives: 18. Nina froze. Her mouth twitched slightly. Again? She checked the cause. Poisoning.

Someone had secretly placed poison inside the fruit itself. She quietly placed the fruit aside. Then, she grabbed a silver spoon and dipped it into the water. Slowly, the silver began turning black. Nina stared at it. She felt as though she had descended into another world entirely.

"What is wrong?" The elderly woman looked at her with genuine confusion.

"Is the food not to your liking?" Nina looked at the woman carefully. The expression on her face did not seem fake. She truly did not appear to know. This person really has a lot of enemies. Before Nina could say anything, the elderly woman turned toward one of her servants.

"Bring me one of the fruits from Nina's plate." The servant immediately followed her instructions. The elderly woman took the fruit and placed it into her mouth. She chewed slowly. Nothing happened. No sudden collapse. No signs of poisoning. Nina quietly watched. So the food on her plate was not the problem. It was only the food that had been placed elsewhere. Her eyes moved toward the young man who had shown hostility toward her earlier. She picked up the apricot from her plate and carefully waited.

Nothing happened. Only then did she finally eat it. She refused to touch anything else. Just as the elderly woman was about to offer her more food, Nina immediately interrupted.

"I am full." She looked toward the elderly woman.

"May I ask when I can receive my clothing back?"