Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Thud, thud, thud~

As Shard's gaze shifted to the door, there indeed came a knocking from outside. Lecia frowned discontentedly as she looked towards the door, where the guard outside informed the princess that the mistress of the manor, Miss Hevy Aurora, had arrived.

"That woman, really... Shard, you find somewhere to hide for now."

Lecia apologized to Shard and then saw that he was already preparing to duck under the desk:

This was a guest room in the manor being used as a temporary resting room for the banquet. The most convenient hiding spot was actually the washroom inside the room, but Shard always felt that it wasn't a safe place.

After discovering that under the desk was also unsafe, his eyes immediately caught sight of the wardrobe standing in the corner, and he quickly opened it and crawled in. Apart from a fishing rod standing in the corner, it was filled with ladies' garments.

Whether these were clothes Lecia had brought or the Grand Witch had prepared for the princess, once Shard entered, a pungent scent of spices and soapberries nearly made him sneeze right away.

Lecia watched as Shard deftly closed the wardrobe door from the inside, but he immediately poked his head out:

"Miss Maid, quick, stand in front of the cupboard!"

This was to prevent him from breathing too loudly due to lack of oxygen in the enclosed space, which the highly sensitive Witch might hear.

The young maid who had led Shard earlier looked at Lecia hesitantly, but the princess asked with a smile:

"How come you're so practised at this?"

Yet, with a slight nod, the maid then quickly stepped in front of the cupboard. A calm smile on her face, she clasped her hands together in front of her lower abdomen.

The door of the cupboard closed behind her, and Shard peered out through the crack, relieved that he could only see the maid's back.

Lecia grabbed the rabbit fur blanket to cover herself and resettled on the sofa:

"Please come in."

Only after the owner of the manor, a descendant of an ancient family line wearing a red gown, entered did she groggily stand up.

The woman who entered had curly, wavy, brown locks. Dressed in a somewhat severe dark brown gown, the waist of the dress was embellished with a belt dotted with gemstones. Although she wore a smile, her slender beauty and sculpted features gave her an air of authority.

But Shard had no time to admire the Witch's charm, as he was entangled in a pile of clothes due to his hasty dive into the cupboard. He held his breath, keeping perfectly still, not daring to make any significant movements to unravel the dress ties wrapped around him.

The Witch had come not because she sensed Shard's presence, but to further discuss the affair of the Coldwater Port Shipyard with Lecia.

She certainly wouldn't agree to the many shares Lecia was asking for, but wanted to use cash payment or a ten-year dividend from other Aphrola Family businesses as the price.

Even so, Miss Aphrola handed Lecia a bottle of liquid, which from Shard's angle was entirely out of sight:

"Your Highness, you should also know that there are some secrets in this world, unknown to us ordinary people. Look at this, this Potion is called 'Mermaid Slime,' not from Merfolk, but from Mermaids."

"What's it for?"

Lecia's tone was very monotonous, showing her lack of interest in it.

"Add this to your powder puff, one drop at a time, continue for one year, and it will make your skin better."

"Indeed, it's a nice thing, but I think I shouldn't need it."

With the Ever-Youth Leaf that Shard had lent her, Lecia indeed did not need a weaker Magic Potion.

"Lady, although I know you don't want to build warships, to persuade my father to believe the same, I need more."

"Those shares are definitely out of the question, it's too much, that's too much."

The Witch's tone was very soft, and even though he could not see the expressions, Shard, tangled with ladies' garments inside the cupboard, subconsciously assumed that Miss Aphrola was speaking with a smile:

"Your Highness, what is it that you really want? We've discussed for so many days, it's time for you to state your actual demands."

"I can take just one-tenth of the shares, but I would like your new shipyard to build me some ships."

Lecia said.

"What kind of ships?"

"These types of ships."

What followed was the sound of pages being turned, suggesting Lecia had brought the documents with her. And after a moment of silence, Miss Aphrola spoke with confusion in her tone:

"If my understanding is correct, Your Highness, the kind of ships you want built are milita... Perhaps I've misunderstood?"

She was certain she hadn't misunderstood and was sure that she had not, it was a test.

As for Shard in the wardrobe, he had already covered his mouth, preventing any erratic breathing from hearing information not intended for him. If he wasn't mistaken, Lecia wanted to have the Aphrola Family's shipyard secretly build some large steamships for military use, as a price for her assistance in lobbying in Tobesk on behalf of the Aphrola Family.

"Yes, you are wrong in your understanding, you just need to build the ships, I won't be installing weapons on them."

Lecia said, followed by a long silence.

"Once I agree to this request, it's as if I am binding my family to you. Your Highness, it's not a decision I can make lightly."

Miss Aphrola said. Find more adventures on My Virtual Library Empire

"It's alright, you can take your time to think about it."

"Yes, take your time to think... My family only does sea trade, we never thought about getting involved in Draleon's politics."

The Witch's voice was steady and unhurried. Although it seemed like Lecia dominated the conversation, Hevy Aurora had not been at a disadvantage from start to finish.

"The opening of the New World has given those in the sea trade business capital unlike any they've had before. Miss Aphrola, your family cannot escape the influence of the Kingdom's power changes, it would be someone else if not for me."

Lecia stated, her tone monotonous and dull, devoid of any genuine emotion.

"That makes sense, but I still prefer to do legitimate business."

"Legitimate?"

Lecia's tone took on a mocking note:

"Miss, what exactly your fleet is doing on the sea, I reckon even the beggars at Coldwater Port have heard. Of the fleets of the Seven Pirate Kings of the Outer Sea, how many do not involve you?"

"Only two have something to do with me."

The Witch stated calmly, and Lecia laughed a bit:

"Miss Aphrola, these are times of change, everything is evolving, and even an ancient lineage like Aphrola, if it wants to keep a leading position in the raging tides of this era, cannot avoid changes."

Shard only told Lecia that Hevy Aurora belonged to an ancient Circle Sorcerer lineage as a Female Sorcerer, without mentioning that she belonged to the Twelve Rings. Otherwise, Lecia might not have spoken in such a tone. But if he had, the Princess would have noticed something off in the Witch's demeanor, so keeping it a secret was actually the right choice.

"Yes, you make a valid point, but I believe I still need to think it over. After all, the family is not mine alone, and there are other partners in our business."

The Witch responded calmly and unhurriedly.

To Shard in the wardrobe, it seemed that Lecia hadn't actually given an offer. The Princess aimed to establish a bridge through this collaboration and then, step by step, deepen the imprint of Lecia Cavendish on the Aphrola Family.

However, it was clear that Hevy Aurora was no ordinary woman. Even if she wanted to gamble her luck with a Member of the Royal Family in the currents of this changing era, she would surely seek hints and permission from Galina Cavendish of the Witch Council, who was part of the same lineage.

An ancient Circle Sorcerer lineage that had survived until now must have its unique ways. In Shard's view, Lecia's plan was not likely to succeed unless she could provide a more attractive bargaining chip to the Witch.

The Outlander in the wardrobe breathed in the scents that clung to those clothes that entangled him, quietly listening to the exchange between the Princess and the Witch in the darkness. He gained a deeper understanding of the political maneuvers of this era and the internal situation of Draleon.

After all, these matters were rather fascinating for Shard. Although he had integrated into the current life, hearing about these political situations always made him feel a sense of detachment.

The Yordle Palace, where the Draleon Royal Family resided, was just one street away from Saint Delan Square, yet he always felt that the happenings within that palace, in the building that could almost be considered the center of the entire Kingdom, were actually very distant from him.

But it wasn't until this moment, in somewhat ludicrous circumstances, listening to the Princess's conversation, that he suddenly felt as if he were partaking in the historical process.

"But Lecia's tactics are not clever enough. If it were me, I would at least have dinner at Sophia's Mansion, arrange a staged play during the meal to warn of the consequences of refusing the proposition, and while the Witch is contemplating, I'd lay out my own bargaining chips and advantages. But I wouldn't demand an immediate answer, instead letting her go back and consider, and then the next day I'd organize naval maneuvers at Coldwater Port... hosting a guest, beheading, acceptance..."

He couldn't help laughing at himself for thinking this, these were just perspectives of an Outlander looking in from the outside, highly subjective and presumptive. Reality was more complex, and perhaps it was his ideas that were more absurd.

[Outlander, are you particularly good at this sort of thing?]

"She" whispered softly in his ear, and each time Shard heard her voice in the dark, he imagined she was right behind him.

"Of course not, I didn't learn this back home, it's all hearsay."

Shard answered in his mind, then suddenly heard Lecia raise her voice outside; their discussion had turned to this cursed party.

"Madam, you're really impolite!"

Shard's eyes widened in sudden realization; he remembered Miss Galina had mentioned Hevy Aurora's preferences.

"Is it a tradition of the Aphrola Family to touch a lady's hand uninvited?"

Lecia's voice suggested she was somewhat angry, while Shard in the wardrobe breathed a sigh of relief.