Without the System, there were no probability percentages showing up over her letters, no alerts warning her of political traps, and no data tracking her shipping lines.
Evelina was completely blind right now, navigating the Capital’s dangerous economy all on her own.
And her current situation was so critical that she did not even have the ti to sit and reflect on how to fix the System. Not that she had any confidence of being able to do it.
Still, her face remained perfectly calm. Her own brain was a better calculator than any glitched code anyway.
Suddenly, a loud, panicked knock broke the silence.
"Co in," Evelina said smoothly.
The door swung open, and the man she had appointed as the head of logistics, rushed inside.
He was usually very neat, but right now his collar was ssed up and sweat was pooling on his forehead. He held an imperial scroll with a heavy red wax seal from the Ministry of Revenue.
"Your Grace," His voice started shaking, "We have a massive problem at the city gates. The imperial customs guards have stopped our entire northern shipnt. All twenty of our iron-wheeled cargo wagons are stuck."
Evelina set her quill down slowly. Her green eyes just narrowed slightly, "Why? Our permits were fully approved just two days ago."
The man stepped forward, handing her the scroll, "An imperial decree was passed at midnight, Your Grace. It didn’t go through the regular courts. It was signed directly by the Crown Prince. Effective imdiately, the empire has put a three hundred percent luxury tax on all linen entering the Capital."
"Three hundred percent," Evelina repeated. Her voice was flat, but her brain instantly did the math. A tax that high wasn’t ant to collect money, it was ant to destroy her business completely, "And what is their excuse?"
"The decree says our heavy iron wheels are damaging the mud roads outside the city. U-until the tax is paid, or until the ministry inspects every single roll of fabric by hand, the wagons cannot enter.Your Grace... that inspection could take weeks. If it starts raining, the fabric will rot in the mud."
Evelina stood up from her chair. The fabric of her lavender gown rustled softly as she walked over to the large window, looking out at the golden roofs of the Capital.
Prince Elian had moved fast.
She had rejected him just yesterday, and now the future emperor was using his influence to choke her.
He wanted to prove to her that without his favor, her linen monopoly was nothing. He wanted to make her regret her choice.
"Where is the Duke?" Evelina asked without turning around.
"His Grace was summoned to an ergency military council at dawn," The man answered quickly, "It was sothing about a border issue in the west. He left with his commanders before this decree was even posted. He has no idea the city gates are closed to us."
A cold smile touched Evelina’s lips. How convenient!
Elian was a snake indeed. He had purposely created a fake military issue to drag Ace away from the city, making sure the Duke wouldn’t be around to draw his sword and smash through the customs barriers.
She turned back to look at the man, her expression completely icy, "Rember, no matter what, do not pay the tax. If we pay it, it ans we admit they have the right to stop us.
Tell the drivers to cover the cargo with heavy canvas to protect it from the damp weather. I will deal with the Ministry of Revenue myself."
By afternoon, the news of the imperial decree had spread everywhere through high society.
Inside the beautiful conservatory of Countess’s mansion, the gossip was incredibly loud.
The exact sa noblewon who had been begging for an invitation to Evelina’s estate just days ago were now sitting in tight circles, whispering maliciously.
"Did you hear? The customs guards completely blocked her shipnts at the gates. They say the wagons are backed up for miles!"
"A three hundred percent tax!" another noblewoman laughed, sipping her sweet tea, "No business can survive that. I always knew her success wouldn’t last. Rule the Capital’s fashion? Her? It was ridiculous from the start."
"She acted so arrogant at the winter gala, acting like the Crown Prince’s attention was nothing. Now look at her."
"The mont His Highness stops smiling at her, her entire linen empire turns into garbage. They say she will be completely bankrupt before the month ends."
The whole room burst into cruel, quiet laughter.
High society loved nothing more than watching soone successful fall back into the mud.
As the sun began to set, casting long, red shadows across the streets, Evelina returned to the guest estate.
Her etings had gone terribly, as she had initially expected already.
The Ministry of Revenue had completely ignored her. The high-ranking ministers suddenly beca ’too busy’ to see her, hiding in artificial etings just to waste her ti while her expensive fabric sat out in the cold at the city gates.
She walked through the quiet hallways of her estate, her mind racing.
She was calculating alternative routes, searching for legal loopholes, and figuring out which guards she needed to bribe to bypass the lockdown.
When she reached her study door, she paused. The house felt strangely empty and heavy.
Evelina entered her dark study, not bothering to light the candles. She stood alone in the center of the room, looking down at her hands.
The System inside her mind was still totally dark. She was completely on her own, facing the full, corrupt power of an empire that wanted to break her wings.
Yet, when she compared it to her previous life, and thought of her past self... a girl who wouldn’t dare to take a step forward if she wasn’t ordered to do so, Evelina found it ironic.
What a long way she had walked indeed.
She closed her eyes, and a freezing calm settled over her.
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