Work Prophet
Chapter 400 - 18 Ruby’s Investigation

Chapter 400: Chapter 18 Ruby’s Investigation

Ruby had a sweet mouth and was always diligent with her hands and feet. Whenever she wasn’t too busy and saw someone in need of help, she would run over to lend a hand.

Though she had been at Teacup Castle for just over a month, she had already become friends with many people.

Aside from Grisa, who saw her as a direct competitor, everyone in the castle, from top to bottom, liked this beautiful and kind-hearted little maid.

Ruby didn’t act like she was investigating everywhere, just casually walking and looking around, seemingly aimlessly wandering and warmly greeting everyone she met, occasionally engaging in brief conversations.

She didn’t have a very clear purpose, most of the time just chatting about everyday matters.

The reasons for this were twofold: firstly, to avoid drawing the attention of any suspicious targets, and secondly, because Ruby knew that, having entered the castle not long ago with an unverifiable background, there were definitely people monitoring her every move.

Originally, Li Yu had planned to introduce her directly to Ireya, so she could be an advisor by the Lady’s side.

But Ruby herself refused, saying she would rather be a maid than an advisor since her job, given by Li Yu, was to protect Ireya in secret.

The identity of a maid was clearly more suitable for this task than that of an advisor.

Ruby even changed her own name, although she felt Hirodod wouldn’t notice someone like her.

But Ruby knew that if she wanted to keep a lie as undetected as possible, the trick was to pay attention to the details.

For this reason, she preferred to create a new identity and seek the patronage of the Arias family herself, taking the risk of being suspected and starting from the very bottom of the castle.

As one of the few people who had had close contact with Hirodod and knew some of his secrets, Ruby firmly agreed with Li Yu’s concerns.

Since Hirodod and his Blood Moon Association appeared, they had launched several attacks in the Westlands in the short span of a little over a month, creating many tragedies and were at a critical moment of establishing their reputation.

To further prove that the Blood Moon Association was stronger than the former Silver Moon Church and was the chosen ones of Goddess Pexia, thus calling more followers to join, Hirodod would sooner or later move against their old rivals, the Double Rest Sect.

If they could take down Ireya, the only Lord who had converted to Saturday, the blow to the Double Rest Sect would be self-evident.

However, the Arias family was not what it used to be. With Teacup Castle being well-fortified with strong soldiers, tight security, plus everyone in the castle following Miss Rabbit in worshiping Saturday, it was not easy for the Blood Moon Association to infiltrate under normal circumstances.

Inserting herself into Hirodod’s plot, Ruby knew that the best opportunity to act would come during a banquet held by the Arias family.

Because on that day, many outsiders would flood into Teacup Castle, not just those guests listed, but also their guards, attendants, and coachmen—a crowd that made it easier for some to fish in troubled waters.

Ruby chatted briefly with the maid responsible for arranging the luncheon, ostensibly asking where the lavender on the dinner table was gathered from, but in reality, she wanted to find out if there had been any changes in the kitchen staff lately.

The maid said, "The flowers were bought directly from Black Stone City, as you know. These days, the castle is too busy to spare people to pick them, and this morning, Lord Alfred just announced a list. Aside from the people on the list, no one else is allowed to enter or exit the kitchen and banquet hall, or to touch the food, decorations, and utensils on the table."

"Is that so? I just got free and was thinking about helping out," Ruby said.

"No need, my sovereign Saturday once said that the time for rest is sacred and precious. It’s rare to have no work to do, so you should take this opportunity to relax and do something you enjoy."

The maid chatted briefly with Ruby and was then called away to continue arranging the plates.

Since the tragedy in Duolin City, every major family has been placing great emphasis on food security, and the Arias family was no exception.

Moreover, Alfred knew Ruby was a very diligent and careful old knight. With him in charge of the castle’s security, common assassination methods would hardly be effective.

Therefore, Ruby decided to change her strategy, no longer wasting time in places that everyone could notice. She went straight to the horse stable.

The old coachman at the stable, Raymond, recognized her and grinned, "Are you here to play with Xiao Hui again?"

"Hmm, there are a lot of new horses here," Ruby said as she looked around.

"They were brought by the guests," Raymond said. "But there are quite a few good horses indeed, after all, a good half of the nobility from the western region has come."

Raymond’s words also contained a sense of pride. He had been serving the Arias family for nearly forty years, and as a member, he took pride in witnessing the family’s growth from obscurity to hosting a noble gathering and sharing in their glory.

"They aren’t bullying Xiao Hui, are they?"

"Don’t worry, I’m watching over here. Plus, Xiao Hui is no pushover. Just a while ago, a young stallion tried to approach her and she kicked it away."

"Good girl." Ruby walked up to Xiao Hui and stroked her neck.

And Xiao Hui, already familiar with this kind-hearted Miss who brought her carrots, even lowered her head to Ruby for a pet.

"She likes you," Raymond said.

"Because I fed her carrots."

"No, horses can tell who is good and who is bad. Last time I drank with some people and said this, everyone thought I was crazy, but it’s actually true. They are very intelligent, smarter than they appear to be."

"I believe you."

"Really?"

"Really," Ruby paused and then asked, "Uncle Raymond, which of these horses do you think is the fastest?"

"Ah, you’ve asked the right person. That proud and majestic black thoroughbred on your right, once it starts running, none of the other horses in the stable can catch up with it. Although the third one to the right of it isn’t bad either. Yes, that one with the lightning mark on its forehead..."

Once the conversation turned to horses, Raymond immediately became loquacious and spoke endlessly.

Ruby listened patiently while continuing to observe her surroundings. The Blood Moon Association had used various methods in several past attacks, but there was one commonality: the attackers had always planned their escape routes before launching their assaults.

Although there were times when they had to sacrifice themselves for their faith, it was always a last resort after escape had failed.

Hirodod was not someone who showed concern for his subordinates. To achieve his goals, he often resorted to any means necessary. Ruby guessed that the recent change in his usual approach might be due to a lack of manpower within the Blood Moon Association.

Especially for executing attack plans that demand high martial arts skill and quick decision-making, such experts weren’t easy to find, prompting Hirodod to use them sparingly.

Since she couldn’t discern what means the enemy might use to attack, it was better to take a step back and look for possible escape routes the enemy might have planned.