The entire chamber froze.
Even Duke Tyler paused mid-eyebrow twitch.
I continued with perfect, dangerous confidence. "I love reading romance novels about nobles doing amazing impossible things. Imagination helps. Maybe even delusion. So every time I think of building something, I imagine it prettier than in real life. That's how the town got renovated. I wanted it to look like the places I read about."
Murmurs exploded instantly:
"She's serious?"
"Romance novels?!"
"What in the goddess's name—?"
"That explains the gazebo."
Princess Milabuella's lips parted in pure disbelief.
Duke Tyler whispered something like, "…gods save me."
And then came the mines.
I cleared my throat. "About the curse… I honestly don't know what happened."
The council leaned in.
I leaned back. "Maybe the curse tried to penetrate my soul," I said dramatically, "but I have so much fat it got confused and drowned halfway. So it gave up."
Silence.
Dead.
Utter.
Silence.
Then—
