Stripped of her practical riding leathers, Isabella wore a breathtaking gown of muted silver and deep navy blue, the official colors of the Northern Army High Command.
She looked radiant and perfectly at ho even in a thorny place like the Capital.
Surrounded by a small entourage of Capital nobles and high-ranking military officers who had gathered at the estate to greet the Duke, Isabella looked more like the mistress of the house ready to welco her husband who was returning from war.
"What a hassle..." Evelina covered her face behind a silk handkerchief and took a small step to the side when the crowd ran to them.
As she pretended to be a part of the background, she felt a cold gaze settling upon her.
She turned her head to side and found Ace glaring at her as if she had teased and sold his ancestral properties.
"It seems like a warm get-together. I wouldn’t want to intrude," she whispered right when the crowd reached them.
A vein throbbed on Ace’s forehead.
"Ace," Isabella said, her eyes softening. She completely ignored Evelina, stepping directly into Ace’s personal space. "The High Command was overjoyed to hear of your arrival. The reports from the border are prepared, and the ministers are already waiting for your input at the war office."
Ace nodded curtly, his posture rigid, "I’m here to attend so important matters with my wife. The rest of things can wait."
Only then did Isabella turn her gaze toward Evelina. Her smile remained flawless but her eyes sharpened slightly.
"Yes, of course, welco to the Capital, Duchess Evelina," Isabella spoke in a pitch that every noble and servant present could hear her.
She tilted her head, her smile widening slightly, "It must have been a terribly exhausting journey for you. The Capital can be so overwhelming for newbies. Don’t worry, since I am here, I will help you with everything so you won’t feel overwheld by the court’s demands."
To the surrounding nobles, Isabella simply looked like a thoughtful, capable family friend helping the ’clueless’ Evelina adjust to the grand Capital.
But beneath the polite words, Isabella’s words were akin to publicly asserting her dominance. The way she said it, made her seem like the one holding true authority in Alvarez Estate, and it subtly painting Evelina as an incompetent and fragile outsider.
A few of the Capital noblewon in the background whispered behind their fans, their eyes filled with mocking amusent as they waited for the new Duchess to flounder.
[System Notification: Psychological Strike Detected.]
[Target ’Isabellat’ is attempting to lower the host’s social prestige by 20%.]
Evelina didn’t blink.
"How incredibly efficient of you, General Isabella," Evelina replied smoothly, her voice was completely devoid of any anger.
Isabella’s brows twitched slightly.
She then stepped forward, letting her gown trail flawlessly against the marble floor, "It is truly a relief to see that the Northern Command allows its generals enough free ti to handle the Duke’s dostic affairs. I suppose with the southern border currently at peace, our military assets must find ways to keep themselves occupied."
Isabella’s smile stiffened slightly.
Evelina had instantly flipped the script so effortlessly, reducing Isabella’s grand gesture of authority into the re busywork of a underutilized servant.
The whispering noblewon behind their fans instantly went quiet, their eyes widening in surprise. The calmness with which Evelina had dealt with a high-ranking general’s public jab left them completely stunned.
Ace, who had been standing silently beside them, watched the entire exchange.
His dark eyes burned with a mixture of intense pride and amusent. He didn’t say a single word to defend Isabella.
Instead, he took a step closer to Evelina, his large hand coming to rest firmly against the small of her back.
The heat of his palm seared through her dress, and his actions stood as a public declaration to the entire courtyard that he stood firmly behind his wife.
Evelina felt the warmth of his hand pressing against her spine. Her breath hitched barely for a second, but she forced her posture to remain perfectly straight, refusing to look back at him.
Isabella noticed the movent. Her gaze dropped to Ace’s hand on Evelina’s back, and for a split second, the aloof mask on her face cracked, revealing a hint of resentnt.
"If you will excuse ," Evelina said smoothly, completely ignoring the tension thick enough to cut with a knife, "I doubt the Crown Prince likes to be kept waiting."
"Oh, so the rumors were true?!"
"The Crown Prince has really invited Duchess Alvarez for a eting..."
’’What else? The word of it has been doing rounds since days now."
"I thought it was just a rumor and that textile thing too... How can a woman who looks like a pretty vixen have such a sharp business mind?!"
"Shh, her looks make it pretty easy to forget her past achievents... After all, how can you forget those iron monsters she created during the great drought...?"
’Silence’
Evelina was far from paying attention to the idle gossips but Ace’s eyes had narrowed slightly. And the aura that radiated off him made everybody shut their mouths.
With a elegant turn, Evelina walked past Isabella, her head held high, her presence absolutely undeniable as she entered the grand doors of the estate.
She didn’t need to look back to know that she had won the first round that Isabella had started against her.
[Hidden Objective Accomplished: A strike at rival’s pride!]
[System Error... Core engine fluctuating due to high-intensity target variables.]
[Failed to calculate standard rewards. Points locked.]
Evelina’s lips had already parted to form a smile. Who wouldn’t be happy? She was just miffed and dealing with annoyance in the passing but she accidentally fard so points at that?
However, when she saw the ’Error!’ signs flashing her vision, her lips twitched.
Was this System rusty now? How was it that it kept fluctuating every once a while?!
The annoyance on her face was so obvious that Ace who was walking behind her, stiffened slightly.
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