Upon viewing the box's content, her rush of anticipation immediately dimmed, replaced by an underwhelming feeling. Contained inside was neither a priceless treasure nor an exotic commodity but a small, dirt-stained embroidered tassel. Crimson threads intertwined in its golden body, twisted and twirled, weaving into an intricate yet mighty beast at the top, the Léonas' royal family crest.
"As you are already aware, Your Highness, due to several unfortunate circumstances, the Étoile Empire has conducted a thorough cleanup of the campground," Yusef explained. "After receiving your request, His Grace immediately dispatched his men to seek the item. However, because of the area's vast coverage, it took many exhaustive months of searching before we could retrieve it."
The Léonasian man ignored the black-clad man's words. His golden eyes fixated only on the object. He reached for the tassel, holding it in his palm like a fragile ornament. Though the man hid his countenance under the festive mask, Elaine caught an unnamed ripple in his hardened gaze.
Is it a family heirloom that got lost during the battle? Or…
She recalled the scene outside the Insidious Forest. Ashes and smoke swallowed the once verdant ground while the repulsive odors of decaying corpses and charred vegetation wafted into the atmosphere. The destruction left little vestiges of previous abundance and revelry as the anguished cries of the survivors echoed near and far. Yet, none were more ferocious and agonizing than the Léonas First Prince, Nickolas, for his father, the Léonas Emperor.
Yusef mentioned that Gerard's men found it outside the cursed forest. Perhaps the item belongs to his father. Unlike Étoile's royal children, Nickolas seemed to share a close bond with the Léonas Emperor. The revelation helped explain why the future head of an empire would disregard his obligations to appear in a standard business transaction rather than delegate to his men. However, considering Gerard's defense of the Étoile Emperor during the joint expedition's aftermath, Elaine questioned his motivations behind choosing Geris instead of the Lévis Dukedom for assistance.
The Léonas First Prince returned the tassel to the box and handed it to a subordinate. "Your master has satisfied my condition," he said, crossing his arms and slightly leaning against his seat. The invisible pressure he emitted before moderately subsided. "We may continue the late emperor's previous negotiations."
"Thank you, Your Highness." Yusef inclined his body. "I am glad we could reach an agreement."
Elaine realized the original transaction was between the previous Léonas Emperor and the Duke. What crucial terms in the negotiation would propel Gerard to continue pursuing the contract with his successor? Her heart increased its drumming as the anticipation reignited. Perhaps her initial disappointment was premature. Instead of a mud puddle, she had landed on a goldmine.
"Milady, I hope today's pastime has satiated your amusement." The black-clad man turned to Elaine and lowered his head. "However, there are plenty of other attractions in the Primavière Festival that you still have not seen. Please go and enjoy yourself. I am certain His Grace would be delighted to hear about your adventures later."
Though Yusef's words included only pleasantries, Elaine could discern the implication. He was sending her away and using the Duke's name to placate her protest. No, I can't turn back. Elaine's hands gripped her dress. The thought of the punishment awaiting her if she defied Gerard's wishes knotted Elaine's stomach. Yet, she had already risked too much to reach this point. Yusef's secrecy further insinuated the importance of today's meeting and fortified her determination to remain involved. Elaine gritted her teeth. No matter what penalty the Duke would serve when she returned, she could not withdraw.
"You are correct. There are still many things I have yet to learn," Elaine replied, twisting the meaning of his remark. "Instead of aimlessly wandering around, it would be more beneficial for me to stay and increase my knowledge. Besides, His Highness has already judged and accepted my worthiness to conduct this negotiation." She fabricated a justification, then thrust the final decision to the Léonas First Prince.
Elaine again cast the dice. Based on observing the red-haired young man's demeanor before and after receiving the tassel, she surmised his interest tilted more toward the late Léonas Emperor's remembrance than continuing the contract with the Geris Dukedom. Thus, he could not care less about whether Elaine or another person would perform the task. However, it was not the red-haired young man's current preference that she wagered on. Emperor Nickolas of Léonas from the original story was an obstinate and proud man. Despite their limited interactions, Elaine recognized similar traits from the First Prince's present self. Nickolas had acknowledged her presence and involvement just moments before. It would mean recanting his previous position if he agreed with Yusef's stance and excluded Elaine—a dishonorable action, especially for royalty. As such, Elaine gambled Nickolas would not tolerate the besmirch to the Léonas royal family's dignity and reputation.
"The girl stays," the Léonas First Prince declared with finality.
"Thank you, Your Highness." Elaine stood up and curtsied, expressing her appreciation. She glanced over at the black-clad man. Despite her triumph, she remained inside her sincere facade. "Since our honorable guest has decided, let us not delay him with any more unrelated matters and begin. Don't you agree?" With the red-haired young man's verbal support, he would have no choice but to allow her participation. Even Yusef would not dare to anger the future Léonasian monarch.
"Please forgive my earlier indiscretion, milady." Yusef bowed to Elaine. "I have no excuse and shall accept full responsibility for my negligence." He then snapped his fingers, and a shadow from the wall slithered down. It moved to the Smiling Devil's location and rose from the floor, forming a solid human-like shape. A man stepped out from the shadow, delivering a stack of documents to him. Yusef divided the documents and provided Elaine and Nickolas each with a copy. "The terms remained unchanged to when the late Léonas Emperor negotiated. Please review them."
Elaine accepted the contract and perused its contents. The more she absorbed the details, the faster the palpitation inside her chest as her hands tightened their grip on the documents. It was an exchange of high-graded spirit gems for military aid.
I just realized the last time I posted was right before Valentines lol. Since this is a romance novel, here is a little gift, from AI of course 😉
Nickolas (still remember him?)
Valentines collage
Elaine/Estella
Valentines (hard to get Estella’s silver eyes with AI instructions lol)
