On the marble table between them lay a velvet-lined box containing the official liquidation deeds and land titles of House Snow. It was the ’gift’ Elian had prepared for her, delivered right to her doorstep.
"I trust the news of Baron Snow’s sudden departure brought you so peace of mind, Duchess," Elian murmured, raising his porcelain teacup with an elegant flick of his wrist, "A beautiful woman trying to manage a massive trade empire should not have to waste her ti dealing with pathetic flies."
Evelina offered a polite, shallow smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
Her mind was entirely clear, and the corner of her vision remained empty still. The System was still completely blacked out after crashing from Ace’s extre emotional spike three days ago.
Flying blind without any data or safety net had forced her to rely entirely on herself these days.
"Your Highness is far too generous," Evelina replied smoothly, her voice cool, "The liquidation of House Snow certainly clears the trade routes. I am grateful for your swift intervention."
Elian set his cup down with a soft click. He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees as his eyes darkened slightly.
The gentle deanour of his seed to slip slightly, revealing the heavy ambition underneath.
"I did not do it out of generosity, Evelina," he said softly, completely dropping her formal title again, just as he had done before when he spoke of his intentions.
He looked at her with a knowing smile, the smile of a man who believed he had just proven his superiority over the brute force of the Duke of the North, "I did it because I cannot stand to see a mind as brilliant as yours wasted in the freezing borders.
Regardless of his prestigious background, Ace Alvarez is a soldier in the end. He knows how to swing a sword and bleed in the mud, but he does not understand the language of politics. More specifically, he does not understand you."
Evelina kept her hands resting loosely in her lap, her posture rigid and unreadable, "The Duke has his duties, Your Highness, and I have mine."
"Your duties should not be confined to managing a soldier’s cold estate," Elian countered, his voice dropping into a persuasive baritone.
He reached across the small table, his elegant fingers stopping just short of touching her hand, "I have known him for a long ti already, maybe since childhood. And from everything I know about him, I can tell you with certainty... that he treats you like a piece of captured territory, a prize probably. He is a liability to your growth."
Evelina’s features remained an icy mask. She simply waited, knowing a man like Elian never gave a gift without demanding a massive price in return.
Elian took her silence as encouragent. A triumphant gleam flashed in his eyes as he delivered his ultimate proposal.
"Divorce him," Elian whispered, the words carrying the full weight of an imperial command wrapped in a romantic promise "File for a legal separation from the Alvarez estate. Bring your talents, your northern linen mills, and that gifted mind of yours to where they truly belong."
He stood up, walking slowly around the table until he stood right beside her chair.
He looked down at her as if he were already taking her asurents where he could place a crown upon her head.
"If you marry , I will make you the Crown Princess of this empire," Elian declared, "I am not offering you a small allowance or a seat at a minor council. The mont you step into the imperial palace as my wife, I will grant you unrestricted financial control over the entire Empire’s trade networks.
Every rchant guild, every port, every tax ledger from the east coast to the western mountains will answer directly to you. Together, we will turn this entire continent into our personal treasury."
It was a staggering offer.
To any other woman in the empire, noble or common, it would have been the ultimate dream to just have the Crown Prince, let alone all that wealth.
After all... Absolute wealth, unmatched status, and a handso future emperor promising to place the entire economy of the world into one’s hands... was no small thing.
Elian smiled down at her, completely confident. He had shown her his power by destroying House Snow with a single word, and now he was offering her the world on a silver platter.
She should barely be able to contain her happiness. And rightfully so.
However, the smile on his face slowly faded.
Evelina looked up at him. Her green eyes were completely steady, reflecting none of the ambition or excitent the prince expected to see.
"Absolute financial control over the empire," Evelina repeated softly, her voice remarkably calm.
"Every single coin," Elian promised, his heart suppressing the doubts rising within.
Slowly, Evelina stood up from her chair, smoothing down the front of her cream linen gown.
She looked the future emperor straight in the eye as her face turned cold.
"Your Highness’s offer is incredibly grand," Evelina said, her voice levelled, "But I must reject it."
The remnants of Elian’s perfect smile instantly froze.
He blinked, his mind montarily blanking as if he had just heard a foreign language, "What... did you say?"
"I said no," Evelina answered clearly, stepping back to create a formal distance between them, "I will not beco your Crown Princess."
Elian’s brows pulled together, a dark flash of genuine shock and confusion crossing his handso features, "You are rejecting the throne? Evelina, be reasonable.
I am offering you the entire empire’s trade. I am offering you a position where no one can ever look down on your background again. I don’t think my offer is lacking. What can that Duke of the North possibly give you that compares to this?"
"He gives exactly what I need; space to operate my business without unnecessary interference," Evelina took a step forward, looking at the man calmly, "I do not need a man, or by extension, his background, to rule over the world. I can carve my own path and write my own na on everything my heart desires."
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