Elena knew of Duke Berkeley—his story was famous not only in aristocratic circles but also among the general public.
It was a tale reminiscent of *Hamlet*, and it began with a young Theodore Berkeley, the sole heir of the Duke of Berkeley. Two years ago, his parents were murdered by bandits while touring their estate, and Theodore disappeared without a trace. The news shook Lunton to its core. The nobility, fearing for their own safety, tried various methods to uncover the truth. Meanwhile, the citizens of Lunton called for stronger law enforcement and volunteered to patrol the streets.
With the Duke dead and Theodore missing, the inheritance of the estate fell into legal limbo. The Duke, being at the pinnacle of the noble pyramid, had invested in railroads and mines, and his land generated substantial income, with yearly revenues reaching hundreds of thousands of pounds. Determining who should inherit such vast wealth in the absence of the heir was a complicated matter.
The next in line was the Duke's younger brother, Lord Berkeley. However, rumors quickly circulated, claiming that Lord Berkeley had bribed the bandits to murder his brother and his family.
The story became a scandal, and Lunton's newspapers were full of sensational reports, each one claiming to have inside information, as if they had been present at the hearings. But rumors are just that—rumors, because there was no evidence. After months of investigation, hearings, and evidence collection, just when Lord Berkeley's inheritance was about to be confirmed, Theodore Berkeley reappeared.
"Yes, it's me," Duke Berkeley admitted freely. His voice was as beautiful as a string instrument, which only made Elena more envious. "Surprised?"
He briefly explained why he had appeared here. At the time of the attack, he had been left for dead, and the bandits assumed he was dead. Just then, a "vampire" who knew his identity witnessed the entire event. Sensing the conspiracy, the vampire used a ritual from the goddess Hecate to transform him into a "freer."
At that time, he had been no different from the red monsters around them. His appearance was so hideous that he could not show himself in public. He had to go into hiding and figure out how to restore his appearance and reclaim what was rightfully his.
"So, how did you end up looking like this?" Elena asked, studying Duke Berkeley's face, trying to find any traces of makeup, but she could find no flaw, which made her begrudgingly admire him.
"For you all, it might be difficult," the Duke boasted, "otherwise, I wouldn't be the only one in the room looking like this."
??? Is that really the right thing to say?
Elena, not knowing how the others felt, suddenly wanted to punch him.
"The Duke is... a rather well-known artist. You might have heard of his other name," Vera pointed out without hesitation. "His paintings pleased the Goddess of Love and Beauty, Dédicte."
As Vera explained, Elena began to understand everything.
Each god has their own domain, and people can perform rituals to offer sacrifices in exchange for blessings. For example, they had used their appearance and voices to perform a ritual for the Goddess Hecate, gaining a free, functioning body. The blood they drank monthly was a necessary part of the magic that maintained their form.
But aside from their own possessions, there was another method: "pleasing the gods."
This was a broad category, with different gods having different preferences, but the common point was that "spreading the god's influence" or "expanding the god's power" was the key. All gods shared this desire.
"The Duke's painting of the Goddess Dédicte was incredibly beautiful," Vera added, glancing at the Duke, who was clearly enjoying the praise. "I'm no art expert, but the church people went wild over it. They hung the painting in their prayer rooms, printed it in their brochures, and even voted it the best painting of the century. The goddess Dédicte was very pleased, so when the Duke performed her ritual, asking for his appearance to be restored, the goddess even made him more beautiful."
This method was undoubtedly hard to replicate. But Elena now understood: only the gods could remove the influence of the gods.
"That should be possible by other methods as well," she mused. "For example, through the written word—spreading the beauty of Goddess Dédicte, emphasizing the importance of the goddess of beauty..."
"Yes, but it's difficult," Vera sighed. "The church has already spread it to the point of excess, so we're still researching..."
"I've always said, if you'd just learned to paint from me," the Duke interjected, raising a finger in self-satisfaction, "but your progress has been disappointing."
"Because your method of teaching is to just let us look at your paintings!" Vera retorted, glaring at him. However, noble etiquette made her bend her knee in a polite apology. "You may be an excellent artist, but clearly, you're not a good teacher."
Elena fell into deep thought. Having been exposed to the internet, she could think of many ways to promote beauty, but those methods were unproven, and besides, she'd need manpower or money.
According to Duke Berkeley's experience, the key to pleasing the Goddess of Beauty was "beauty" and "spread."
Judging by how much everyone praised the Duke's painting, "beauty" was certainly maximized, but "spread" was lacking. Elena had never heard of this story outside of the art world or among Dédicte's followers. Even though the spread wasn't wide, the goddess Dédicte was still satisfied, so Elena wondered: if there was no groundbreaking "beauty" but widespread "spread," would it still please the goddess?
Having studied art history in the past, Elena knew that only the most exceptional artists were recorded in books. She wasn't sure if the Duke belonged to that elite group, but she believed she didn't have the talent of a top-tier artist. No matter how much she practiced, she'd probably only be a craftsman. It seemed unlikely that she could maximize "beauty," so her only option was to focus on "spread."
While lost in thought, Vera guided her through the hall.
What caught Elena's attention was the row of wooden plaques hanging on the wall. They seemed to be written with something.
"These... are task boards," Vera pointed out. "Whenever a 'freer' encounters a problem they can't solve, they write it here. Usually, they offer contribution points as payment."
Elena studied the plaques, where various tasks were posted, such as "Need help cleaning, paying monthly contribution points," "Looking for a 'freer' fluent in Latin for ritual magic research, ongoing recruitment, Wednesdays and Fridays 2-5 PM," and "Magazine accepting submissions, buyout or profit-sharing options."
"Magazine?" Elena turned to ask. "We have magazines?"
When it came to spreading the influence of the Goddess of Beauty, fashion magazines seemed like the best choice. Elena's family had bought a few, and the main difference from modern magazines was that there was no color printing—everything had to be manually colored using engraving. Even engraving the prints was expensive, and you needed a skilled workforce.
"Yes, perhaps you've heard of it," Vera said nonchalantly. "Lady's Monthly."
Elena had never heard of it, but she decided to look it up.
"Ding!" Duke Berkeley rang the bell on the high table. At the sound, the "freers" all gathered around, taking their seats. Those without chairs stood against the wall, and the once noisy hall became quiet.
The Duke stood before the fireplace. "Before we begin today's topic, we must welcome a new member to our midst. Although for her, this may not be the best news, congratulations—you're still alive."
As the Duke led, everyone in the hall applauded. The scene reminded Elena of a moment in *Journey to the West*, where the demon celebrates catching the monk. Elena had no choice but to step forward and bow in thanks.
"Now, let's begin this week's summary," the Duke signaled for the butler to take the lead.
The "freers" meeting was simple. Everyone took turns presenting their needs and ideas. Some wanted specific coffee beans from a shop, others wanted to reserve a carriage for next week, and some wanted to subscribe to a newspaper. These all required additional contribution points.
There were also requests for funds. Duke Berkeley occasionally sponsored certain projects, though the requests needed to be well-reasoned.
"The *Lady's Monthly* is still in a deficit, with sales at 15,000 copies this month," the butler reported calmly. "It's mostly due to the extensive use of illustrations."
"We need the illustrations," Duke Berkeley interjected, his hands clasped. "Short-term losses are manageable. Of course, if anyone has suggestions on how to reduce costs or increase profits, feel free to share."
At the end of the meeting, the butler calculated everyone's earned and spent contribution points for the week. Some "freers" had clearly spent more than they had, needing to take on tasks to earn more points. They could spend their contribution points on food, lodging, laundry, books, games, or courses—such as the Duke's art lessons or a scholar's ritual magic meditation classes.
There were also creative ways to earn contribution points. Some people taught skills, like Vera, who offered sewing lessons. Noble women taught piano and languages, others partnered
with the Duke for joint ventures, or came up with new recipes to make food tastier...
As Elena reflected, she realized that she could definitely find a way to earn points by making delicious sauces. She could even amaze these Luntonians with Chinese cuisine!
Of course, that was just her imagination. Chinese food might not fare well in Lunton, but it could be an avenue if she ever found herself stuck. Thinking of the countryside...
Elena suddenly had a realization. If she stayed at home, she'd have to face the servants and her mother's friends. Even if she coated her face with starch to hide her condition, it would eventually be revealed. Starch didn't work like foundation, and it needed constant reapplication. If she stayed at home, it would be impossible to hide. But here, surrounded by others like her, she wouldn't have to worry about hiding. She could even find a way to restore her appearance. She didn't want to become an "outcast."
She even had a plan to convince her mother to let her move here. If she presented it as a type of boarding school, with the noblewomen offering courses, it might work. After all, she used to have a tutor at home, but now, with her appearance, she couldn't go to school with her sister. If she stayed home, she'd only be locked in her room for the next three months, waiting for her father's return to send her off to the countryside.
"I must convince Mother to let me move here," Elena thought, the thought of a country outhouse filling her with determination. "Even if I have to work as a maid, it's better than the countryside."