When Nyasia heard that her father had finally decided to hold an elder's council meeting, she was certain it would be about Levon's legitimacy.
She took a breath, remembering the events of the past few days. Although the Jade Temple had made its move through a merchant, everything had gone quiet afterward. And she still hadn't figured out who controlled the temple from the palace.
"I wonder what happened to First Lady Rashet," Fay muttered. "I'm sure she's learned that her mother has been expelled from the manor by now."
"She still has at least a few days left of her grieving period," Nyasia replied.
She knew the customs well. Those who valued filial piety mourned their dead for at least three months. And Maryan wanted that image—the good daughter, the good sister, the good friend, whatever saintly reputation she was trying to build.
"I just wonder if she's able to live in peace," Nyasia continued, amused, "while the Jade Temple is busy dealing with one rejection after another for their wild ambitions… and their prized pawn is stuck there, completely useless."
Just then, the main entrance of Paragon Hall burst open. It was Lea. The way she strode inside meant only one thing: she carried shocking news. Nyasia silently prayed it wasn't another house burning down somewhere on the Rashet estate. Or worse, Levon marching on Viridian Manor.
"My lady, rumors are spreading through the capital. There was a robbery in the nearest town. The carriage was carrying valuable jewels. The people came from the south—"
"Alright."
Nyasia sniffed.
"He must have done it."
This level of efficiency could only come from him. He's truly good, she thought bitterly. Off to handle business in the peninsula, then giving my father a heart attack, and now playing robber on top of it all.
And yet she hated that he hadn't told her anything.
...
GRAND STUDY
"You think the duke was serious last time?" Ezekias asked, though he already knew the answer. "Should I bend Rashet's laws to protect my daughter?"
Basil pursed his lips slightly.
"It's difficult to read the duke. But I can say he may genuinely be interested in Lady Rashet. He's the type who wants a woman capable of standing beside him as duchess." He paused. "You should proceed, my lord. After all, the young master is more than capable. It is time the iron mine should be managed by him."
"Any word from the palace?"
Basil sighed. "The emperor is quiet. The First Prince is rumored to be back in the capital, but he hasn't made any public appearances yet."
Ezekias set down his glasses.
"Prepare the papers for Levon's takeover. And his marriage. That daughter from our branch should suit him."
...
ELDER CHEM was bewildered when the marquis proposed that the iron mine should now pass to Levon, since Nyasia would soon be married.
"When we made that agreement decades ago, we never considered what would happen if she married. Naturally, the iron mine becomes part of her dowry. That would be a colossal mistake," Ezekias said.
Elder Chem replied, "Are you saying you've already found a marriage partner for Lady Rashet? That you're hastening Levon's legitimacy—"
"I am not making excuses here simply to favor Levon," Ezekias cut in with a contemptuous smirk. "Powerful people are interested in Nyasia through marriage, because she will inherit the mine. Even the palace may be watching. Levon will protect it, simply because male heirs almost never marry outside the clan."
The elders considered the marquis's words and found his reasoning sound. Besides, the Rashet clan had always despised politics. They wanted no part in the current power struggle between the First Prince and the Third Prince.
But Elder Chem didn't agree to hastening Levon's legitimacy. It would mean the elders would have far less control over the iron mine. Things had been fine with Nyasia. She was sickly, and noblewomen couldn't freely leave their manors. Levon, on the other hand, could go and check on the iron mine himself whenever he wished.
He tried to protest. But the other elders were embittered, because he had been the only one profiting from those iron ore contracts. And they hadn't forgotten. So, in the end, they supported the marquis.
"If that's the case, I suggest a marriage selection be held," Elder Chem said. "After all, all branch families remain loyal and supportive of the main family."
The other elders nodded.
"I know the marquis has his biases, and likely a particular daughter in mind for the young master. But if we want his ascendancy to be smooth and free of conflict, let us be fair from the very start," Elder Chem added.
It was obvious to Ezekias: Elder Chem was trying to reclaim whatever control he had left—through this marriage. But it didn't matter for now. Ezekias had to secure the marriage before the Queen Dowager's banquet. He'd surprise everyone, including the duke!
...
AFTER THE COUNCIL ENDED that evening, news exploded across the Rashet estate: the young master was getting married. A selection would be held, drawing candidates from the branch families.
"A compromise," Nyasia said dryly. "Father needed this marriage to secure the elders' support."
"But wouldn't it be safer for the young master to marry from a branch family rather than an outsider?" Fay asked.
When Fay finally left the bedroom, Nyasia sat on the couch, flipping a book, reading but her mind was somewhere else.
Father must have figured that the branch families are all controlled by the elders. Some of those daughters would end up as pawns. Others... might have their own ambitions.
She had to do something.
A cold breeze drifted in through the open balcony door, and then she heard footsteps. When she lifted her eyes toward the balcony, he was there.
Already stepping inside.
Strange, how even after all these years, her heart still managed to flutter. As if an arrogant, ruthless man had been given permission to ruin her.
Yet Dorian merely gave a lazy, devilish smile as he watched her face—that familiar mix of apprehension and irritation.
Then, in an amused, low, deep voice, he said, "You're damn hard to please."
*