Chapter 54: The Nairn' Private Tutoring
His voice was more real than what she heard Above the Gray Fog, and more... pleasant to the ear.
It wasn't a mystical, echoing sound transmitted through spirituality, but a warm, clear male voice with a hint of lazy magnetism, as if it could directly scratch the most sensitive itch in one's heart.
Just those two words caused Audrey's heart, which had just slightly calmed down, to speed up again unhelpfully.
Nairn pulled out a red velvet chair next to him and made a "please" gesture.
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"Miss Hall, please sit. I hope tonight's play didn't bore you."
His manners were impeccable, possessing both noble elegance and a sense of closeness that didn't feel forced, which perfectly eased Audrey's tension.
"No, not at all." Audrey lifted her skirt and sat down gracefully, trying to make her voice sound as steady as possible. "I like 'The Crown of Betrayal' very much; the actors' performances have a lot of tension."
"Indeed." Nairn sat back in his own seat, poured a little red wine into the empty glasses in front of himself and Audrey, and pushed hers over.
"Especially the actor playing the King; he interpreted that kind of suffering twisted by power and suspicion very well. But don't you think the script itself has some problems?"
"Problems?" Audrey was stunned for a moment; she hadn't expected him to talk to her directly about the play itself.
"Yes." Nairn picked up his wine glass and swirled it gently. "The whole story emphasizes the King's cruelty and the Queen's betrayal, but it ignores the most fundamental motivation—why did the King become so suspicious? Why did the Queen choose to betray? The script attributes everything to the evil of human nature; that is too simple, and too Pride."
Audrey's emerald eyes lit up. She had received the best education since childhood and had her own views on drama and literature, but no one had ever discussed them with her from such an angle.
"Then... Mr. Lovers, what do you think the fundamental reason is?" she followed up curiously.
"The system."
Nairn spoke pointedly.
"A system that concentrates all power in the hands of one person will inevitably breed extreme suspicion. A society that leaves a Queen with no choice but to depend on the King will inevitably grow the poisonous vines of betrayal in despair. They are all victims of tragedy, and the real killer is that invisible cage named 'rules'."
These words exploded in Audrey's mind like a clap of thunder.
She had always appreciated drama only from the emotions of the characters and the conflicts of the story, but she had never thought that behind all this, such profound social logic was hidden.
Mr. Lovers... can he see such far-reaching things even while watching a play?
At this moment, Nairn's image in her heart instantly rose from a "mysterious and powerful Beyonder" to a "wise man who understands the essence of the world."
He was not just powerful, but possessed incomparable wisdom!
"So, the 'Civil Service Reform' you proposed at the Tarot Club was also based on this kind of thinking?"
Audrey applied the logic and immediately connected the play to reality.
"You could say that."
Nairn nodded approvingly.
"Any vast system, if it lacks effective checks and balances, will eventually move toward stagnation and corruption. Kings will become Tyrants, and officials will become parasites. What we want to do is not to hope that someone can become a saint, but to establish rules that allow ordinary people to do their jobs well."
He paused and looked at Audrey, his tone softening slightly: "And you, Miss Justice, are the key figure in promoting the realization of these new rules. Every bit of effort you make is injecting a new possibility into this country."
Being watched by him like this and hearing such a solemn affirmation, Audrey felt as if her heart was soaked in warm water, both warm and soft.
So, what I am doing has such great significance.
So, in his eyes, I am this important.
An unprecedented sense of mission and the happiness of being recognized filled her chest.
"I... I will work hard!" She clenched her fists, her emerald eyes flashing with a firm light.
Nairn smiled and stopped continuing this heavy topic, instead chatting about some interesting anecdotes in Backlund, from the latest steam car designs to paintings newly exhibited in a gallery. His breadth of knowledge and unique insights left Audrey completely immersed, almost forgetting the passage of time.
She felt like a thirsty student, greedily absorbing every word from Mr. Lovers.
Talking with him was more interesting and rewarding than attending ten court etiquette or history classes.
The atmosphere in the box became relaxed and harmonious without them even noticing.
The blush on Audrey's face also changed from initial tension and shyness to a heartfelt blush of happiness.
As the conversation deepened, Audrey's initial tension completely disappeared, replaced by an unprecedented sense of relaxation and trust.
She found that although Mr. Lovers possessed unfathomable wisdom and power, he was exceptionally gentle and humorous when communicating.
He could always use the simplest and most direct words to explain the most complex principles, and he always knew how to take care of her emotions, making her feel respected and listened to seriously.
She had rarely experienced this feeling even from her own father, Count Hall.
The atmosphere inside the box gradually became more relaxed and intimate.
Audrey felt that the invisible barrier between her and Mr. Lovers had been completely broken.
She no longer viewed him simply as a mysterious guide to be looked up to, but more like a... partner with whom she could share secrets and plan the future.
This realization caused waves of warmth to surge in her heart.
"By the way, Mr. Lovers." Audrey remembered another important matter. "Regarding the civil service reform issue you mentioned before, I have already 'accidentally' left some relevant materials in my father's study according to your guidance."
"Oh?" Nairn raised an eyebrow and asked with interest, "Did Count Hall have any reaction?"
"Father... he was very satisfied with part of it, but as for the part involving the 'Audit Office'..."
Audrey recalled the scene at the time and frowned slightly.
"He just flipped through it and said these ideas were too idealistic and simply wouldn't work in the Loen Kingdom. He also said that touching the interests of those great nobles and bankers is a very dangerous thing."
"A very normal reaction." Nairn nodded, not surprised at all. "For a ruler accustomed to the old rules, any change means risk and uncertainty. His first consideration is maintaining stability, not promoting progress."
"Then... what should we do?" Audrey felt a bit discouraged. If she couldn't even convince her own father, let alone those stubborn old men in Parliament.
"Don't worry, Miss Justice." A confident smile curled at the corner of Nairn's mouth. "The path we are taking is not one that relies on 'persuasion' to succeed."
"Then what path is it?"
"An Open Scheme," Nairn said softly.
He looked at Audrey's confused eyes and explained patiently: "We don't need to persuade everyone. We only need to make this plan align with the interests of some key figures, and then create an 'unstoppable trend' that no one can refuse."
"Key figures? Unstoppable Trend?" Audrey felt like she was listening to a heavenly book again, but she liked this feeling.
"Exactly." Nairn's fingers tapped gently on the tabletop, making a rhythmic sound. "Your father is worried about touching the interests of the great nobles and bankers, right? Then why don't we go find those whose interests are also being suppressed by the great nobles and bankers?"
His gaze became deep: "For example, those emerging factory owners and merchants who started from industry and trade but have little say in Parliament. Don't they long for a fairer and more efficient government to serve them, instead of being constrained everywhere by the old nobility?"
"Another example is the military. The Loen Kingdom's military spending has remained high for years, but how much of it is embezzled layer by layer, and how much is actually used on soldiers and equipment? If there were an independent audit department that could thoroughly investigate the accounts and ensure the effective use of military funds, do you think the military hardliners would be interested in this proposal?"
Every word Nairn said was like a key, opening one dusty door after another in Audrey's train of thought.
She had never thought that a seemingly simple "reform" could involve the interest games of so many different groups behind it.
"I... I understand!" Audrey suddenly realized. "You want me to contact these people and let them become our allies!"
"Not just allies." Nairn shook his head. "It's to let them become the 'pioneers' who actively promote this matter. What you need to do is not tell them 'we want to reform,' but make them feel 'we must reform' themselves."
"You need to 'accidentally' reveal some information in different salons and on different occasions."
"For example, complain to those factory owners about the low efficiency of government approval, hinting that a certain competitor got an unfair contract because of a good relationship with a certain great noble. Or, while having afternoon tea with military families, 'unintentionally' talk about the Feysac Empire's latest armaments, and then sigh, 'I wonder if our military funds are enough.'"
"This..." Audrey listened dumbfounded; she felt as if she saw a vast and precise chess game slowly unfolding in Mr. Lovers' hands.
This was no longer teaching her how to do things; this was practically teaching her how to manipulate hearts!
"Is this... isn't this a bit... not so good?" Deep in Audrey's heart, the part that belonged to "Justice" caused her to hesitate. This kind of instigation and hinting didn't seem very honorable.
Nairn saw through her thoughts; he laughed, but his smile carried a hint of sharpness.
"Miss Justice, what do you think is 'good' and what is 'not good'?" he asked back. "Is it 'good' to watch the foundation of this country be gnawed away bit by bit by parasites, watching countless civilians fall into hardship because of the greed and incompetence of officials?"
"What we are doing now is using a small scalpel to remove a rotting tumor. The process of the surgery might involve blood and might not look that 'respectable,' but it is to save the life of the entire patient. This is the greatest 'good'."
"Everything we do is to establish a fairer and brighter future."
"In the face of this great goal, isn't it only natural to use some necessary means? This is an 'Open Scheme.' Our purpose is honorable, so we are fearless."
These words were like a great bell, striking heavily on Audrey's heart.
Yes, she had always hoped the world would become better, but her thinking on the question of "how to achieve it" had always stayed in fairy-tale fantasies.
Mr. Lovers was teaching her the true "reality."
"I understand." Audrey took a deep breath, the hesitation in her eyes replaced by firmness. "For the sake of ultimate 'Justice', some... some strategies in the process are acceptable."
"That's the way." Nairn nodded with satisfaction.
He felt like a mentor patiently guiding a student, dyeing a pure white sheet of paper with his own colors.
This feeling was truly a great sense of accomplishment.
To deepen this "binding," he decided to throw out a "gentle trap."
"By the way, I've been idle lately and wrote a little something," Nairn mentioned as if casually.
"You write too?" Audrey's face was full of pleasant surprise.
"Just a small hobby." Nairn smiled modestly, then took a stack of neat manuscript papers out of his leather briefcase. "This is a story about Backlund; perhaps... it can become a part of our plan."
He pushed the manuscript papers in front of Audrey.
Audrey picked them up curiously and saw the title on the manuscript—
'oliver twist'.
She only read the first page and was deeply attracted by the cold and cruel words.
"Born in a workhouse, Mother passed away, growing up in a cold foster home and workhouse..."
A dark and desperate world she had never encountered was laid bare before her eyes.
"Is this... is this what the other side of this city beneath our feet looks like?" Audrey's voice trembled slightly.
"Yes." Nairn's tone was calm and deep. "This is part of the 'unstoppable trend.' When enough people, especially those thinkers who are already paying attention to the possibility of progress, see the suffering in the shadows, the call for change will truly ring out through the heavens."
"I hope you can let this story circulate in your circle. Let those respectable people, while discussing the latest trends, occasionally talk about an orphan named oliver twist, who just wanted... another bowl of porridge."