Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 137017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 685(@200wpm)___ 548(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 685(@200wpm)___ 548(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Ark coughed into his hand and straightened up. Something awfully similar to pride flickered over his face. “No, Your Highness. Her Ladyship has been spending time observing the knights’ training to select her personal knight and asked Sir Otto about monsters. During the conversation, she found out about the purpose of your expedition and was quite upset about the lack of aid available to victims of monster hunts.”
I grunted and sat down, pulling the first stack of paperwork towards me. “That’s always been the case. That cowardly bastard left behind more money than one could spend in a lifetime but no real policies. I’ve been too busy to do anything about it, despite my best efforts.”
“Which is why Lady Alicia has decided to create an aid policy for the victims of monster hunts.”
I stilled.
She was what?
“Say that again.”
“Her Ladyship has been working on an aid policy for the victims of monster hunts,” Ark repeated with a sparkle in his old eyes. “Her immediate attention has been on creating an emergency fund to assist those from the Baldor Village. She’s been reviewing the financial statements to allocate funds.”
She was what?
“That’s a great deal of work. How is she faring?”
“Very well,” Hayes answered. “In fact, she’s remarkably bright. Her ideas are beyond anything we could have put together, as much as it pains me to admit.”
Strange.
“Has she always been this intelligent? It doesn’t line up with what I heard about her.” I tapped my fingers against the desk. “That goes above and beyond the duties of a Grand Duchess, never mind the daughter of a marquess. A policy like this is more suited to the Council.”
Or it would be if they were educated.
Fuck. While I didn’t regret rewarding true heroes of Stein with nobility, it wasn’t a secret that they didn’t have the education to draw this sort of thing up. My actions would be beneficial in the future, but for now, we were doomed to struggle.
Hayes cleared his throat. “She was very studious when she was younger, sir. From what I read in the report on her, Marquess Vermillion put a lot of stock into her education. What she received was arguably befitting of a Crown Princess, although I’m not sure Her Ladyship realises it.”
That would make sense.
I knew how my father and stepmother felt about Lady Alicia Vermillion, so the marquess would certainly be aware she was their first choice for Crown Princess. I had been, and that was exactly why I’d been shocked when my father had acquiesced to my request to marry her.
I also knew how incensed Eudocia had become when she’d found out.
“Hmm.” I clasped my hands in front of me and rested my chin on them. “Her maternal family is the Lovetts, is that right?”
He nodded. “Ivelle Lovett is her mother and the Marquess’ first wife. Her brother, Duke Lovett, was consulted on your engagement and gave his consent.”
“Interesting. The Lovetts have little power in the empire since their divine power waned. I wonder why the marquess asked his permission.”
“I’m not sure. We were unable to plant anyone in either the Vermillion or Lovett household until recently.”
“Where did we succeed?”
“The Vermillions. Lady Alicia brought two maids with her, and Illusion was able to send someone to replace one of those maids a few days ago.” Sir Hayes put an envelope in front of me. “Apparently, the marchioness and Lady Sophia have been furious over Lady Alicia’s engagement to you.”
“That explains why the marquess mentioned his other daughter when we met to negotiate terms, but he didn’t seem surprised when I told him it was Alicia I was directly proposing to.” I pulled the report out and glanced over it. “The marchioness had her sights set on the Crown Prince for Lady Sophia?”
Ark coughed. “Yes, Your Highness, you’re correct. It appears the marchioness has high hopes for her daughter’s marriage, but Lady Sophia’s education is lacking in comparison to Lady Alicia’s.”
“Was she not offered the same educational opportunities?”
“She was, but the marchioness had Lady Sophia socialising from a very young age. That took valuable time away from the young lady’s studies.”
Ha.
The difference between the two sisters ran deeper than their maternal blood, it seemed.
Of course, Illusion had also told me the rumour that Sophia had been the one who pushed Alicia down the stairs. I’d initially been sceptical when Jinx passed that on, but the more I heard, the more viable I thought that rumour to be.
And the inexplicable anger I felt over it…
“As far as I know, my father wasn’t considering second daughters for Torin unless the first daughter was already married. She would never be an option.”
“It is as you say. The marchioness has been seeking marriage proposals from ducal houses ever since, but the most powerful houses are reluctant given their recent scandal. The Alansias and Trelawneys both had their eyes on Lady Alicia, so are unwilling to marry their heirs to her younger sister.”