Madame Rune Felton’s expression faltered at my question.
It was a valid point. In the upper echelons of the Empire, damaged jewelry was almost always discarded or traded for raw materials to maintain the appearance of infinite wealth. For a princess to insist on a repair was, to many, a sign of dwindling fortunes—or a strange, sentimental attachment that didn't fit my reputation.
“I didn't mean to imply anything, Your Highness,” Rune said quickly. “I was only... surprised.”
I laughed, a soft, melodic sound. “Don't be. I simply couldn't stand the thought of such a beautiful thing being wasted. It felt... wrong. Even if I were to never wear it again, I wanted to see it whole.”
Rune looked at me with a new, deeper respect. She had likely seen hundreds of spoiled noblewomen in her career, but a princess who valued the craftsmanship of a piece over its status was a rarity.
“I find your perspective very moving, Your Highness,” Rune said. “Most of our clients see jewelry as currency. You see it as art.”
*I see it as a weapon,* I thought, but I didn't say it.
Just as Rune was about to open the ledger for the final payment, the door to the drawing room was thrown open with enough force to make the porcelain on the side table rattle.
“You! You insolent brat!”
Dowager Duchess Bianca stormed into the room, her face a mottled red. She didn't even acknowledge the guest; her eyes were fixed solely on me.
“I’ve given you three days to reflect on your behavior!” she shrieked. “Three days, and not a single word of apology has crossed your lips!”
Rune flinched, her eyes wide with shock. I stood up slowly, my expression a model of patient, weary grace.
“Mother. You’re interrupting a business meeting.”
“Mother? I told you never to use that word with me!”
I let out a soft sigh and nodded to Rune. “Forgive the interruption, Madame Felton. It seems the Dowager is having a... difficult morning.”
Bianca’s head snapped toward Rune. She appraised the younger woman with a look of pure, concentrated disdain. “And who is this? Another one of your gutter-born associates?”
Rune stood and offered a stiff, formal bow. “I am Rune Felton, manager of *The Gilded Solitaire* and daughter of Viscount Felton, madam.”
Bianca’s lip curled. “A merchant's daughter. And you bring her into the main drawing room? Do you have no sense of decorum, Cornelia?”
She looked at the jewelry boxes on the table and let out a sharp, mocking laugh. “So this is what you’ve been doing. Repairing that tacky ruby necklace? And what is this green thing? It looks like a cheap imitation of a serious jewel.”
I didn't let the insult touch me. I saw the way Rune’s jaw tightened—she’d spent weeks on that jade bracelet, and hearing it called "cheap" by a woman who wouldn't know true art if it slapped her was the final straw.
“Mother,” I said, my voice dropping into a tone of quiet, dangerous authority. “Apologize to my guest. Immediately.”
Bianca froze. She looked at me as if I’d suddenly grown a second head. “Excuse me? You want *me* to apologize to a merchant?”
“She is not just a merchant. She is the manager of the finest boutique in the capital, and she is currently under my protection as my guest. Your behavior is a disgrace to the Brant name.”
“You... you dare lecture me on the Brant name?” Bianca stepped forward, her hand raised. “I am the one who built this house! You are just a temporary guest who happened to trick my son into a marriage contract!”
“Is that what you think?” I asked, taking a step forward to meet her. “That I tricked him? I was the one who asked for Madeleine’s advice because I wanted to please you. I was the one who trusted your favorite niece when she told me rubies were your passion.”
“Lies! You did it to mock me!”
“It is not a lie!” Rune interjected, her voice trembling with indignation. “I was there, madam! I saw Lady Arguin pick those stones herself! There were a dozen witnesses in the VIP lounge who heard her tell the Duchess that rubies were the only stones you truly loved!”
Bianca’s face went pale. She looked at Rune, then back at me. The realization that her "perfect" niece had been publicly outed as a saboteur was starting to sink in. But she was too proud to admit defeat.
“Shut up, you miserable merchant!” Bianca screamed, lunging toward Rune with her hand raised.
I grabbed Bianca’s wrist mid-air.
“You struck my knight three days ago,” I said, my grip tightening until she let out a small whimper of pain. “I will not allow you to strike my guest. And I will certainly not allow you to strike me.”
“Let go of me! How dare you!”
“Please,” I said, my voice suddenly pitching into a high, desperate note of "panic." “Please, Mother, don't hit me! I have a baby in my belly! You'll hurt the child!”
The room went deathly silent.
Bianca’s eyes nearly bulged out of her head. “What? A... a baby?”
The rage drained from her face, replaced by a look of pure, unadulterated horror. She stumbled back, her hands shaking. This wasn't supposed to happen. The "fake" was supposed to keep his distance. The plan was for a marriage in name only until the real Eric returned.
“This is impossible!” she shrieked, her voice cracking. “He... he hasn't even consummated... you haven't shared a bed in five years!”
I offered her a cold, pitying smile. “You seem to know an awful lot about what happens behind my closed doors, Mother. But perhaps you should ask your son for the details. He’s been much more... attentive... lately.”
Bianca looked as if she were about to have a stroke. She couldn't breathe, her mind racing to reconcile this news with her secrets. Without another word, she turned and fled the room, her heels clicking frantically against the marble.
I stood there for a moment, then slowly covered my face with my hands, my shoulders shaking.
“Duchess...” Rune whispered, her voice full of a profound, heartbroken sympathy. “I... I am so sorry. I had no idea.”
I didn't answer. I just kept my face covered until I heard the drawing room door click shut and Rune’s carriage rumble away.
Then, I let out the laugh I’d been holding in.
*Witness secured,* I thought, wiping a "tear" from my eye. *By tonight, the entire capital will know that the Dowager Duchess of Brant tried to assault her pregnant daughter-in-law.*
I looked at the jade bracelet on the table. *And they’ll know that the only person who treated the Princess with respect was a 'simple merchant.'*
The board was almost set. Now, I just had to see how Eric would handle the news of his "attentiveness."