My hands were shaking. I hid them in the folds of my heavy silk skirts so the servants wouldn't see, but the adrenaline from the Prince's visit was wearing off, leaving a hollow, cold ache in its place.
I had just threatened the future King. In my old life, the worst that could happen was a HR complaint. Here? It was the gallows.
I need a win, I thought, staring at the golden screen only I could see. A real, tangible win.
[ SYSTEM SHOP OPENED ]
[ Current Balance: 500 Points ]
The list of items was a strange mix of magical artifacts and office supplies. For 10,000 points, I could buy a "Bulletproof Vest." For 50,000, a "Satellite Phone." But I only had 500.
"System, give me something for information gathering," I whispered.
[ PURCHASE SUCCESSFUL: 1x 'Forensic UV Spectacles' (Disguised as a Monocle) ]
[ Cost: 450 Points. Remaining: 50. ]
A heavy, silver monocle appeared in my palm. It looked like a typical noble's accessory, but when I held it to my eye, the world turned a deep violet. I could see things I shouldn't—fingerprints on the doorframes, traces of poison in the tea set across the room, and a glowing trail of footsteps leading toward my father's study.
The footsteps were large. Military boots. Not the Prince.
"My Lady," a voice rumbled from the shadows of the hallway. It wasn't a shout like Julian's; it was a low, vibrating sound that made the fine hairs on my arms stand up. "You've certainly changed the atmosphere of this house. It smells less like desperation and more like... ink."
I turned, the monocle still held to my eye.
The man standing there was a wall of black velvet and scars. Grand Duke Cassian. The "Iron Blade" of the Empire. In the book, he was the man who actually carried out my execution. He was the only person Julian was afraid of.
Through the monocle, Cassian was glowing bright gold.
[ DING! ]
[ Target Identified: Grand Duke Cassian ]
[ Financial Integrity: ???/100 ]
[ ALERT: HIDDEN ASSETS DETECTED ]
[ WARNING: This target is 'Too Big to Fail.' Proceed with caution. ]
"Grand Duke," I said, my heart thumping a frantic rhythm against my ribs. "I wasn't aware we had an appointment. Or do you usually lurk in the hallways of women you're supposed to arrest?"
Cassian stepped into the light. He was taller than Julian, with silver-scarred knuckles and eyes the color of a winter storm. He looked at the monocle in my hand, then at my face. He didn't sneer. He looked... hungry. Like he'd finally found a puzzle worth solving.
"I came to collect the Treasury's debt," he said, taking a slow step toward me. The scent of cedarwood and cold rain hit me. "But I find myself more interested in the auditor than the audit. Tell me, Lady Seraphina, where did a girl who once spent forty thousand crowns on a single hat learn to speak about gambling debts and alchemical glass?"
He was too close. I could see the faint stubble on his jaw and the jagged scar that ran from his ear to his collarbone.
"People change when they realize their neck is on the line, Your Grace," I snapped, refusing to back down. I held up the monocle, looking at his chest. "And if you're here for the debt, you're looking at the wrong person. If you give me forty-eight hours, I'll show you exactly who has your money. But I'll need something in return."
Cassian tilted his head, a ghost of a smirk playing on his lips. "You're bargaining? With the man who holds your death warrant?"
"I'm an accountant, Cassian. I don't bargain. I negotiate terms."
I leaned in, my voice a low hiss. "Protect me from the Prince's 'Investigator' for two days, and I'll give you the names of every official currently stealing from your military budget. I've seen your ledgers, Your Grace. You're being robbed blind, and you don't even know where the holes are."
Cassian's eyes darkened. He reached out, his gloved hand hovering just inches from my throat, before he shifted and tucked a stray lock of my sunset-red hair behind my ear. The gesture was terrifyingly intimate.
"Forty-eight hours," he whispered. "If you fail, I won't wait for a trial. I'll liquidate your assets myself."
[ DING! ]
[ Quest Updated: 'The Duke's Gamble' ]
[ Time Remaining: 47:59:59 ]
As he turned and walked away, his cape snapping behind him, I realized I was holding my breath. My monocle flickered. On the floor where he had stood, a single drop of glowing red liquid remained.
Blood. He was wounded.
And according to my System, that blood had a "Value" higher than the entire Royal Treasury.