Looking at Irina, Eros felt a slight headache coming on. Lady Florica really was something—knowing full well that Irina could hear everything, she still insisted on making those easily misunderstood jokes.
Fortunately, Irina understood her mother was just teasing. She merely spared Eros a fleeting glance before turning and walking toward the inner manor. Relieved that there was no misunderstanding, Eros quickly caught up with her.
A long while later, after Eros had thoroughly washed up and changed, he sat with a dry towel, helping Irina dry her damp hair as they chatted.
"Speaking of which, calculating the time... the first batch of stockings from my garment factory should be finished soon, right?"
Irina thought for a moment. "It should be about time, but for the specifics, you’ll have to ask Silvia."
Eros nodded. "I'll ask her after lunch then." This was a monumental matter concerning whether he’d see streets full of black-stockinged, long-legged beauties in the future; he couldn't afford to be careless.
After drying Irina’s hair, Eros sprawled out on the living room sofa, resting his head on Irina’s lap while mindlessly flipping through the Intiles Daily. Truth be told, with Undine away, the house felt a bit lonely. With a soft sigh, his eyes wandered aimlessly over the newsprint until a headline caught his eye.
"Major News: Humanity May Soon Command the Authority of the Gods"
Eros raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. He leaned in to read further.
The Imperial Academy of Sciences recently developed a new form of energy. The head of the research team, Mr. Teris, calls it "Electricity." Our reporter visited the Academy to interview him.
Reporter: "Mr. Teris, could you introduce what kind of power this 'Electricity' is?" Teris: "Abba-abba-abba-abba..." (Technical jargon ensues) Reporter: "I see! How do you believe the discovery of electricity will impact the world?" Teris: "It is epoch-making. It will replace traditional gas in many fields, driving industrial development faster and more conveniently. Human civilization is stepping further into glory." Reporter: "But I hear many citizens have complained to the Academy, calling this a blasphemous experiment and demanding it stop." Teris: "The so-called 'gods' are merely superstition. Where are there gods in this world? We must believe in science!" Reporter: "Does this world truly lack gods? Are the legends and myths all fake?" Teris: "Yes! They are likely just fantasies created by ancient people who didn't understand the world. We used to think gods lived in the high heavens, but the Empire built airships decades ago and stepped into the sky. We hoped to see gods, but there was nothing there. People called it blasphemy back then, too, but has anyone been punished by a 'god'? Now, we have mastered electricity—the lightning referred to as 'Divine Punishment.' If mastering lightning makes one a god, then humans are gods now. Science is the only truth."
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Eros snorted. Electricity is already appearing? If this world developed at the same pace as his previous life, he might actually live to see the day smartphones were invented. He wasn't surprised by the Academy's atheism. According to the principle that "the mystical must not be spread," the worlds of the mundane and the supernatural were separate—intertwined yet strictly demarcated.
Ordinary people often had false memories woven for them by high-sequence entities; it was only natural they didn't believe. Even low-sequence warlocks, like the students in the recent assessment, were victims of memory manipulation. This world was truly unkind to the "blind" and the weak.
He tossed the newspaper aside and rolled over, shifting from resting his head on Irina’s lap to lying face-down against her thighs. He lamented, "The world is so fake. Only these legs in black silk provide a modicum of reality."
As he spoke, he nipped at Irina’s leg and looked up at her. "Does it hurt?"
Irina blinked, confused by his antics, but answered seriously, "Your strength is too light. It doesn't hurt."
Eros chuckled. "You know, Irina, you're basically encouraging me to keep 'freeloading' my way through life." Irina looked even more bewildered. "Don't get it? I'll bite a few more times until you do. I refuse to believe it doesn't hurt!"
The afternoon passed in playful banter. After lunch, Eros called out to Silvia as she was preparing to head out. After hearing his question, she smiled.
"The first batch is already out. I was actually planning to bring a few pairs back tonight for Lady Estelle and the others to try on. They'll likely be needed for the upcoming ball."
"What ball?" Eros asked, surprised.
Silvia’s eyes curved into crescent moons. "You wanted to start a charitable rescue fund, didn't you? Such a good deed shouldn't be hidden away. Lady Estelle plans to host a charity gala in your name, inviting the ministers and nobles of Intiles."
"It’s a perfect chance for you and Undine to officially join the high-society social circle and show your faces to the big players. At the same time, we can use the gala to advertise the stockings. Once the top-tier nobles start wearing them, the middle class and merchants will follow suit. It saves us a lot of marketing trouble—three birds with one stone."
"However," she added, "this won't start until you and Undine are officially on break. We are currently in the preparation stage."
Eros nodded, satisfied. Silvia chatted for a few more minutes before heading off to handle her business.