Ace watched her hands. His throat tightened as he rembered how those exact fingers had trembled slightly when he held her jaw, and how her collarbone had flushed under him.
Probably sensing his intrusive thoughts, Evelina’s felt her gaze flicking to him. She paused for a breath and raised the cup to her lips. And then, she looked away again.
"I find it peculiar," Evelina said softly, setting her cup back down with a clink, "If my mory serves correctly, during the autumn eting, you explicitly stated that my investnts in the flax mills were an embarrassing stain on the Duke’s treasury."
The man scrambled to his knees, his voice trembling. "We were blind, Your Grace! We did not possess your foresight... Please... the House of Alvarez controls eighty percent of the northern flax fields now. If you do not grant us the rights to distribute your linen for the upcoming month, the Capital banks will seize all our assets!"
The proud old goats of the province were quite literally crawling on their knees, their dignity shattered by the invisible chokehold of her linen control.
Evelina leaned back in her high-backed chair and crossed her arms.
"Uh.. But I rember soone saying that a woman lacks the stomach for economics?" Evelina smiled, her voice dripping with an icy calm that made the advisors shiver.
"We... didn’t an it."
"We absolutely didn’t an it...!"
"Your Grace, please say sothing..."
A couple of flees even fell at Ace’s feet but the man simply acted like he wasn’t even there.
In an angle nobody could see, there was a hint of smile on Ace’s face as he watched his wife.
On the other side, Evelina was montarily distracted as the System chid.
[Hidden Achievent: Textile Monopolist!]
[Reward: 50,000 Gold]
[Current Gold: 50,000 Gold]
Evelina had spent all her gold while investing in flax and whatever remaining she had left had gone into buying small skills or equipnts for enhancents. She was running on an all ti low with her cold, but now she was actually rewarded such a huge figure.
The sight of gold uplifted her mood that was slightly dampened by the council mbers.
"The new contract terms will be delivered to your estates by evening," Evelina stated, her voice leaving no room for argunt, "The distribution rights will be granted at a sixty percent tariff. If a single ledger is delayed by an hour, your supply cuts off permanently. Dismissed."
The advisors didn’t dare complain anymore. They scrambled to their feet, bowing frantically until their noses nearly touched their knees, before scurrying out of the council hall like fleeing prey.
As the heavy doors slamd shut, the grand hall descended into a peaceful silence. Only the two people remained inside.
Evelina stood up, her ledger clutched to her chest, preparing to leave. But as she passed Ace’s chair, his hand shot out. His long, calloused fingers wrapped gently around her wrist, halting her mid-step.
The touch was a stark contrast to how possessive it had been that night, it was softer. The heat of his palm seared through the fabric of her sleeve, sending a sudden jolt straight to her heart.
Evelina stopped, her posture rigid, her head turning slowly to look down at him.
"Are you satisfied now, Your Grace?" Ace whispered. He didn’t let go of her wrist; instead, his thumb brushed softly against her skin, right over her racing pulse.
His eyes were dark, searching her face for any crack, "You have broken my council. You have cornered the empire. Is my ruin your next goal?" His voice sounded almost teasing.
Evelina forced her breathing to remain perfectly steady, though the warmth of his thumb was a dangerous distraction. She looked down at his hand, then back into his burning eyes, her voice dropping as she said.
"Your ruin, Your Grace, depends entirely on whether you stop annoying all the ti or not."
With a firm movent, she pulled her wrist from his grip, the sudden loss of contact leaving a sense of hollowness between them.
She turned on her heel and walked toward the exit. She didn’t look back, but as the doors closed behind her, her hand drifted to her wrist, where the heat of his touch still refused to fade.
...
Three days later, the morning peace of the Alvarez Estate was shattered by the sound of silver trumpets.
A royal carriage, draped in the pristine white and gold colors of the imperial family rolled into the courtyard. The high steward of the royal palace stepped out while carrying a velvet cushion.
Resting upon it was a heavy, gold-stamped imperial decree, sealed with the roaring dragon crest of the crown.
When Henderson delivered the letter to Evelina’s private study, his hands were visibly shaking. "Your Grace... it is a personal mandate from the Capital. From... him."
Evelina broke the wax seal with a steady hand. The elegant calligraphy on the parchnt belonged to none other than Crown Prince Elian.
He was the universally adored heir to the throne; a man praised across the empire not just for his breathtaking looks, but for his brilliant political mind. Unlike the brute force of the military, Elian ruled the Capital with his undeniable charms and flawless diplomacy.
With Henderson and couple other eyes eyeing it like it was a death sentence, Evelina ended up feeling like reading the whole thing aloud.
"To the brilliant mind residing in the North. The Capital is cloaked in winter, yet its elite find themselves suffering without your grace’s rcy. I formally demand your presence at the Capital’s Autumn Gala. You shall sit at my right hand, where we will personally handle and negotiate the crown’s exclusive textile contracts for the coming year."
Henderson swallowed hard, "A personal invitation from the Crown Prince... Your Grace, this changes everything. If you accept, you will be entering the most dangerous political den in the empire. But if you refuse, it is treason...’’
Marta looked at Evelina with eyes full of tears, "Your Grace, would you be okay?"
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