Two hundred thousand gold was only the down payment—twenty percent of the total—but even that was an astronomical sum. It was enough to buy a sprawling manor in the heart of the capital and still have enough left over to live like a king for a decade.
Barakiel had expected the pressure of such a transaction to be immediate. He’d expected threats, deadlines, or a list of impossible demands. But I simply rose from my seat, my business concluded.
“I’ll be back in two weeks,” I said. “I trust you won't make me regret my investment.”
Barakiel let out a shaky, nervous laugh. “What if I just take the money and disappear? You haven't even made me sign a contract.”
I paused at the door, offering him a smile that was as bright and cold as a winter sunrise. “Then it would be my fault, Barakiel. I would have to admit that I misjudged the character of the man who is meant to change the world. And believe me... I rarely misjudge people.”
As I stepped out of the back room, I could hear him muttering to himself. “How am I supposed to resist that? She’s terrifying... and magnificent.”
The shop clerk offered me a shallow bow. “We’ll send word when your 'cosmetics' are ready, Your Highness.”
I stepped out into the soot-stained alley and let out a long, heavy sigh. *I hope he really is as desperate for recognition as I think he is,* I thought. *If he runs, I’ve just funded the revolution myself.*
But I had to take the risk. If Barakiel delivered the weapons I’d ordered, the Imperial Palace would no longer be the defenseless target it was in my past life. In the rebellion that had claimed my life, the traitors hadn't just killed the Emperor; they’d systematically hunted down every member of the royal bloodline to ensure their leader’s ascension was unchallenged.
*If Franz takes the throne, everything will just repeat itself,* I thought. *He’s too weak to stop the tide. I have to ensure he’s replaced by someone stronger—someone like Reinhardt—who can act as a shield for me and my child.*
I looked around the narrow alley, my brow furrowing. “Where is the carriage? Did the driver park it elsewhere?”
The street was empty, save for a single white hawk circling lazily in the sky above. I looked up at the bird, its pale feathers catching the light.
“Sardin,” I said, my voice low. “Bring that bird down.”
Before the words had even fully left my mouth, Sardin’s bow was in his hand. The arrow hissed through the air, a streak of gray against the blue. The hawk let out a sharp cry and plummeted, its wings beating frantically as it tried to regain its balance.
A figure suddenly blurred from the shadows of a nearby chimney, leaping to catch the bird before it hit the cobblestones.
Sardin was faster. He was a champion of the arena for a reason, his agility bordering on the supernatural. By the time the figure hit the ground, Sardin’s blade was at their throat.
“I’ve got the rat, my lady.”
I walked over to the struggling figure. It was a woman with short, practical brown hair and a face that was plain, almost forgettable. But those who knew the inner workings of House Brant knew her well.
**Janet.**
She was one of Eric’s most talented commoner knights, a specialist in stealth and reconnaissance. She looked at me with a look of pure, professional frustration.
“How did you know I was there?” she asked.
“White hawks are rare in the Alchemists’ Quarter, Janet,” I said. “They’re a bit of a giveaway for a 'stealth' mission.”
Janet’s face flushed. “I should have used a pigeon,” she muttered.
I couldn't help but find her reaction endearing. In my past life, Janet had been the only one in the duchy who had treated me with any semblance of humanity. When my son, Damian, was born, she was the only one who had brought a gift. And I would never forget the day she had thrown herself in front of a basin of boiling water to protect him, sustaining burns that had ended her career as a knight.
I’d never been able to thank her properly before I died. Seeing her now—young, unscarred, and dutifully spying on me—brought a lump to my throat.
“You’ve been watching me since I left the estate, haven't you?” I asked.
Janet didn't deny it. “The Duke is... concerned for your safety, my lady.”
“Is he? Or is he just concerned about what I might be doing in a shop that sells poisons?”
I reached into my sleeve and pulled out a small, amber-colored jar I’d picked up on my way out of the workshop.
“You caught me, Janet,” I said, letting a look of mock-shame touch my face. “My skin has been terribly irritated lately, and I was too embarrassed to see the court physician. I came here to buy an alchemical ointment in secret so that Madeleine and the other ladies wouldn't have another reason to mock me.”
Janet blinked, her gaze shifting to the jar. “Cosmetics? You went to that den of thieves for... lotion?”
“It’s a very potent lotion,” I said, stifling a laugh. “But if you tell Eric, he’ll think I’m being frivolous again. And if he finds out I’m using 'unauthorized' alchemy, he’ll have another excuse to lecture me.”
Janet looked confused. She was a loyal knight, but she was also a woman who understood the pressures of social standing.
“I’ll tell you what,” I said, leaning in. “If you tell Eric you saw nothing unusual today, I’ll forget that you were spying on me. But if you report this... well, I’ll be forced to tell the Emperor that Duke Brant has his subordinates tracking his wife’s every move. I’m sure my father would be very interested in why his daughter-in-law is being treated like a criminal.”
Janet went pale. She was caught between her duty to the Duke and the threat of a diplomatic disaster.
“I... I cannot lie to my master,” she whispered.
“Then don't lie. Just tell him I was shopping for personal items and that I’ve requested you escort me openly from now on.”
“Openly?”
“Yes. If Eric is so concerned for my safety, he should have his best knight by my side, not hiding on a rooftop. It’s far more respectable to be guarded in public than stalked in private, don't you agree?”
Janet hesitated, then offered a deep, respectful bow. “I... I understand, my lady. I will ask the Duke for permission to join your escort.”
“Good. Now, put that hawk away and let’s get back to the carriage. I’m tired of this soot.”
As we walked toward the main road, I looked at Janet’s unscarred face and felt a sense of quiet determination. *This time, you won't have to sacrifice your life for mine, Janet. I’ll make sure of it.*