[Mission Successful: The superstitions have been defeated as the people try to look past the religious squabbles]

[Reward: 1000 Gold]

[Current Gold: 7450 Gold]

Evelina inclined her head as a small smile played on her lips.

The trial was over and a couple of faces were slapped so effortlessly by Evelina.

Ace walked across the stone floor, heading straight towards Evelina.

Ace stopped in front of Evelina. He reached out, his eyes burning with pride and emotions so complicated that made the System in Evelina’s mind glitch with a barrage of [ERROR: Affection Overflow] notifications.

He unbuckled his dark-furred cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders, shielding her from the damp mist and the prying eyes of the court.

Ace tucked Evelina under his arm and began to lead her out of the Cathedral. Behind them, the machine continued its rhythm, pumping life into the heart of a dying Empire.

Evelina let the man support her out, feeling the weight of exhaustion growing heavy on her.

[Global Influence: 45%]

[Target Ace’s Heart Rate: 120 BPM (Smitten/Protective/Relieaved)]

"Are you tired?" Ace whispered as they reached the sunlight.

"A little," Evelina admitted, "But we still have the southern districts to plumb. And I believe the Emperor still owes me a massive tax exemption for saving his life."

Ace laughed, "Of course you’re thinking about taxes at a time like this. What a little money grabber."

The sky over the Imperial Capital no longer resembled a sickly curse. While the drought hadn’t fully broken, the air felt lighter than before.

In every district, the steady thump-thump of steam pumps functioned smoothly, assuring the people that as long as they had the ’Water Goddess’ in their Kingdom, they would thrive.

In the North, the transformation was even more dramatic. The Alvarez lands had become a lush harbour. Travelers spoke of emerald fields and orchards heavy with fruit. It was almost like a kingdom within a kingdom.

Evelina sat in her study, her scanning through the various ledgers.

A soft knock interrupted her. Ace walked in, carrying two cups of tea. He had swapped his heavy ducal robes for a simple tunic, his sleeves rolled up to reveal his slightly tanned and scarred forearms.

Probably it was the dressing choice or the easygoing aura around him, he looked a lot less like the distant ’God of War’.

"The Merchant’s Guild is here," Ace said, setting a cup on her desk. He leaned against the mahogany wood as he continued, "They’ve been pacing the foyer for twenty minutes. The Chairman looks like he’s sucked on a lemon."

Evelina shrugged, "Let them wait another ten. It helps in building character and lowering their ego."

Ace chuckled, reaching out to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered in the air and when she looked at him, he quietly retracted it.

"So, are you now planning to bankrupt the guild?" He asked teasingly.

"I’m not bankrupting them. I just want them to understand that while dealing with me, everything will come with a price,’’ she replied, closing the book. "They laughed when I bought mineral rights. Now they want the keys to something I have built. Are they being naive or audacious?"

Ace’s laugh made his chest vibrate. The sight of the current Evelina almost stirred a buried memory of his mind. The young Evelina... She had been this way, always noting grudges for months and years whenever someone wronged her.

...

The meeting hall was cold despite the sun.

Chairman Harris of the Imperial Merchant’s Guild sat at the long table with four of the wealthiest traders in the realm. These were men who believed everything, including a Duchess’s loyalty, had a price tag. And anything with a price tag can easily be handled by them.

"Your Grace," Harris began, his voice oily, "Congratulations. The steam engine is a remarkable achievement. Truly, a gift of the Heavens."

"Naturally. Since it’s a gift of the heavens, I still have a lot of heavenly work to do. So you can quickly get to the point," Evelina took her seat as Ace stood behind her like a lethal shadow, "I’m sure you didn’t travel four hundred miles to pay me compliments."

Silas cleared his throat as his lips twitched, "Very well. The Guild wishes to purchase the exclusive rights to the steam technology. We offer five hundred thousand gold pieces and a 10% stake in a new Imperial energy alliance. You’ll never worry about money again."

The other merchants nodded, their eyes gleaming with greed. To them, 500,000 gold was an astronomical sum.

Evelina didn’t blink. She activated [Merchant’s Eye].

[Target: Chairman Harris]

[Intent: Monopoly and sabotage of Alvarez Influence]

[Hidden Fact: The Guild has already pre-sold ’future’ water rights to Southern nobles for 2 million gold.]

A cold smile touched Evelina’s lips.

"Five hundred thousand gold," Evelina repeated, "A lovely number. It would buy a lot of silk."

"Indeed," Harris said, leaning in, "A generous offer for a woman who was recently struggling with debts."

The room temperature seemed to drop as Ace’s eyes narrowed, but Evelina held up a hand.

"I don’t know about that but it’s a generous amount to buy about ten chairmans like you."

Harris face turned red as everybody snickered, "You...’’

"Harris, do you take me for a fool?" she asked, "My engines power the Capital. They sustain the North. They are the only thing stopping a peasant revolt. And you want to buy them for the price of a few spice ships?"

She stood up, her presence overwhelming the room. "You’ve already pre-sold the water rights to the Southern Dukes for two million gold and now you’re offering me scraps while you reap the harvest I planted."

Harris turned pale in disbelief, "I... how could you—"

"I am a businesswoman as much as I am Duchess and I keep track of all my investments," Evelina waved her hand, "And... I am retaining 100% of the patents. I will not sell. Every pump built in this Empire will be an Alvarez pump. And for every gallon of water pulled from the earth, the Guild will pay a 15% royalty to the Northern Treasury."