Chương 165: When He's Excited, I Get Nervous

"No, they are not going night sailing while drunk. Are they crazy?" Tori frowned as she sat at a table and looked up at one of the imperial knights.

"It's too dangerous! They could easily lose their balance, fall into the water, and drown."

"It's fine, pupil! I can swim!" a red-faced Master Ramos assured her as beside him, the Emperor Emeritus nodded.

"I, too, can swim!" the old man slurred. The imperial knight on either side of them kept a straight face, but flushed with embarrassment. Who knew the former Emperor of Soleil could get drunk at his age and insist on sailing around the islands at night? They couldn't really stop him or Master Ramos, so they went to the two hosts seated on the edge of the patio, discussing that day's events: Tori and Piers.

"Master, even if the water is calm, it's dark. If you get dizzy and fall off the boat, it will be difficult to save you," Tori told him in a firm voice.

"Why don't you take His Majesty to Anahata Island tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow? Young lady, at our age, tomorrow is never guaranteed!" the Emperor Emeritus told them far too proudly. Tori closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Children she could deal with. Teenagers screaming, she could deal with. But drunken old people? The gods were testing her. Arguing with get her nowhere. Time for the backup plan.

"That's too bad. I just had new hammock swings made and I was hoping you could evaluate them," Tori said, keeping her voice casual.

"While like a regular woven hammock, it comes with a shade over the top and crystals to circulate air around the hammock. The hammock itself naturally sways, and there is a cup holder for chilled fruit beverages."

"We can use the hammocks some other time-""Wait, wait," the Emperor Emeritus squinted and stumbled forward a step.

"Let's hear her out, Ramos. Your pupil may be on to something. What are these chilled fruit beverages?"

"They have a bit of liquor in them-""Say no more!"

"Grandfather, Father says you've drunk enough-""Don't tell me what to drink! I've had more wine than you've drunk water!" The Emperor Emeritus cut off Piers, who tightened his lips into a line. Tori hoped the Emperor would be able to manage his father and glanced out at the plaza. The Emperor and Empress were dancing in the plaza and had asked to be left alone when knights tried to approach them. The same was with Prince Emil and Princess Vivian, who went on an evening walk.

Gideon was the youngest person in his family and couldn't do much. Even if he could, he and Fabian had returned to the tournament to see if there was a winner. Tori didn't expect them to return. This meant dealing with the eldest imperial family member went to Piers and, by association, her. Tori sighed and stood up to make arrangements.

"Make sure to keep them away from the water," Tori said in a firm voice. She lowered her voice to the two additional knights and two villagers she was speaking to.

"And if they try, offer them food instead. Potato goods and some meat skewers. Just try to distract them. They're drunk and it's not safe if they're in the water."

"Yes, my lady." The escorting knights bowed and led the others away.

"I did not know my grandfather would get drunk," Piers said as she returned to her seat. Tori sighed and shook her head.

"I didn't think they'd drink so much here. I wanted to talk to your grandfather more about that table."

"You will have time. He will likely stay for a while," Piers told her. He glanced around the restaurant. Most of his guests were dancing, taking after dinner walks, or just sitting around a few tables chatting. Several people were missing, and Tori was sure they were back at the beach with the other young people.

"Did Henrik go to the beach, too?"

"I think he went to have dinner with his parents," Tori said.

"He's been very worried about his father."

"Their daughter was tricked."

"Yes, but she did make her own decisions in exposing contracts and selling property. She knew it was wrong to do so and even if she trusted that Cowbastard, she still acted voluntarily. Still, I feel sorry for her. Her relationship with her family may not recover. Henrik will never trust her again no matter what she does. Her parents won't trust her the same way again," Tori replied as she reached forward, stirred her after dinner coffee, and took a sip.

"Does Henrik want to turn in his sister for fraud?" Tori snorted.

"Yes, but his parents won't let him. His father said they'll figure something out. Even if there is a good chance of getting the property back by reporting Annika for fraud, it would destroy her reputation and no one in good standing would want to work with her in the future. People are more forgiving of an accident than planned harm." Piers nodded. He looked at the table in silence.

"Adrien Rosiek was reported to have left the capital." Tori snorted once more. Kasen already told her, but she liked hearing it. She narrowed her eyes and nodded, satisfied.

"Good. No one wants to work with him anyway." Several merchants, some of whom were guests at Annika's party, had requested inquiries on the Golden Cow. The formal complaints were still being drawn up, but eventually, the Cowbastard's little empire would be under official review for any malpractice.

"Where did he go?" Piers was quiet for a moment.

"He was last seen going west, but it has not yet been reported on where his final whereabouts are."

"Chetterswickshire is west...." Tori trailed off. She took another sip of her coffee.

"He's probably going to go hide for a bit and wait for this debacle to calm down. Then he'll return and slip back into his work, as if he'd never left." Piers' eyes flickered up to look at her face before lowering when she looked towards him.

"It is possible he is relocating his business." Tori wrinkled her nose.

"Relocate it where? The Golden Cow and its subsidiaries are all over the Fourth District with other places dotting the city. With that much property, it doesn't make sense for him to pick up everything and leave the capital. The resources and customer base here are too good."

"I was told that he plans to sell the Golden Cow." Tori lifted her head.

"What?" How much? I mean, no way.

"Our people have found that he's sold off some property that had yet to be developed. It is said that he or his people are looking for buyers for small shops," Piers told her. Tori pursed her lips. She was tempted to see what small shops were on sale and for how much, but knowing that the money would eventually go to Adrien, she rejected the idea.

"What about the investigation on alleged corruption?" Tori asked.

"It will continue, but if they are shut down and sold as a building and land, without a business attached, there isn't much punishment that can be done to the store." What would the authorities shut down if there was nothing to shut down? Where are they going to waste resources possessing dirt and an empty building that no longer belonged to the suspect? Adrien was a lizard that willingly lost his tail to live again.

"What are the chances of him selling to cronies to be recovered at a later time?"

"I don't know. Rosiek is being monitored and a close eye is on any possible business dealings."

"How soon can we find out if he did something illegal in order to expand his business?" Tori asked. She was still sure that he must've done something questionable.

"A few months."

"Ugh...." Tori slumped back against the chair and let her arms drop at her sides dramatically.

"Months?"

"There are other investigations happening and a thorough investigation is necessary," Piers told her. He glanced at her tired posture with some worry.

"I requested this be prioritized."

"That bastard is wasting so much time and resources," Tori grumbled as she sat back up and scowled.

"I should've kicked him when he was down. Broken a leg or something...." Kneeing him in the crotch was not enough to vent her anger.

"Don't be mad." She felt a warm hand rest on top of her head and gently pat her three times.

"Rosiek will suffer," Piers told her to soothe her.

"I know he'll suffer, but I want him to suffer a lot. And soon." Tori said as she wrinkled her nose.

"I know." Tori took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"I'm tried. I'm going to bed."

"I will escort you to your tent." Piers pushed his chair back and prepared to stand as soon as she did.

"You still have guests," she said as she looked at him knowingly. Piers looked towards the plaza.

"I will come back. I will escort you first." Tori let out a tired breath and stood up, resigned. Several imperial knights followed them as they tried to leave the plaza without disturbing too many guests. Many of the people Piers had invited were young nobles and local politicians who had just been elected or were slowly taking over for their parents.

It was important for the next generation of leaders to learn to collaborate with each other and figure out where their priorities should be so they could plan things like united fronts on particular topics. Piers' work on international trade, as well as a few domestic processes were well received by this group of people. If she weren't exhausted, she'd chat with them as the Countess of Cosora on issues that would affect her county.

At the moment, there were several experimental projects she had approved of, and other places were watching to see how they worked in Cosora before considering implementing them in their home regions. A few of the young ladies Piers was supposed to be introduced to were also there as guests. They brought topics such as the medical center uniformity project, transport hubs, arts, and agriculture to the event, drumming up interest in the projects that would be done at the delta.

A few village leaders were also in attendance, but more as personal guests of Piers, as they were familiar with him. Tori's goddaughter couldn't make it, as she was still an infant and the party ran late. As they reached the main walkway to the encampment, which at this point was down to half capacity as various families had begun to settle around the area to farm and settle some industry, Tori could hear the faint yelling from the beach.

"It's not over yet?" Piers frowned.

"The tournament is a tiered system, so I had told them that it would take some time," Tori said as she walked ahead.

"Using their characters, they get to keep their current skills and stats in a one-on-one battle royale through a story where a deck of cards with different scenarios and obstacles is used to decide where the characters go. Whoever reaches the goal of each story wins and moves onto the next round. It's a lot of luck, but also requires skill to give your character an advantage."

"My lady, will this tournament system be used again at Duel?" Sir Wagner asked from two steps behind them.

"It depends on how well this tournament goes. If everyone likes it, we'll probably use it for the Spring Festival event. We'll only be open in the late afternoons and evenings during the Spring Festival so our employees can enjoy the festival during the day," Tori said. She looked over her shoulder.

"Are you interested in a tournament, Sir Wagner?"

"I am interested in challenging other teams and guilds, my lady," he told her. Piers raised a brow and glanced back.

"What other teams would you challenge?"

"The current ranking of strength of members has Lycée's club at the top, then La Garda. The imperial knights are ranked twelfth." Piers sneered a bit.

"They are not in the top ten." There was some disgust in his voice and the knights behind him flushed.

"Your Highness, there are different teams within the imperial knights. The one ranked twelfth is for lower ranked imperial knights. Ours is ranked seventh," Sir Dobchek said proudly.

"Only seventh."

"Piers." Tori gave him a stern look. She softened her voice a bit.

"Sir Dobchek is your team only composed of Piers' personal knights?"

"Yes, my lady. We are proudly known as Knights of the First." Several of them looked proud of this. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"Wait, then do the second prince's knights have their own team?" She heard one of them snort before quickly collecting themselves.

"They call themselves the Moonlight Knights," one of the knights said with some distaste. Tori crinkled her eyes as her thoughts drifted to Gideon's knights and imagined them in all white and throwing white roses at enemies. She quietly shook her head.

"That's an interesting name."

"What is their rank?" Piers asked as they reached the edge of the encampment. There was some hesitation behind them, and Tori turned around and looked back. The knights escorting them wore stern looks on their faces.

"Dobchek."

"They're ranked fourth, Your Highness." Tori cringed and pretended she wasn't embarrassed for them. It didn't necessarily mean that Gideon's knights were better; it could also mean that Gideon's knights had more game play experience. That in turn would help them play better. Gideon spent a lot of time at Duel; it was his current favorite hobby outside of polo. As a result, his knights also spent a lot of time at Duel. Piers had far more responsibilities and only played solo games.

It didn't leave many chances for his knights to go to Duel. However, having been on Piers' side since the beginning, if his knights lost to Gideon's knights in a tournament, she would still be a little disappointed.

"Are you serious about the Spring Festival Tournament?" Tori asked as they neared her tent.

"Yes, my lady. We will send our strongest to represent us," Sir Wagner assured her. Tori sighed.

"Piers, I'll have a gaming table and some game play books sent to your house, okay? Have it set up in the knights' area."

"Okay." Piers replied with a single nod. She looked back at the knights, who smiled.

"Thank you, my lady!"

"My lady thinks of us even though she works closely with the second prince's knights," Sir Atienza said proudly.

"I am honored to serve my lady."

"You serve Piers," Tori said in a deadpan voice.

"They serve who I tell them to serve," Piers said in an authoritative voice. The knights didn't correct him, and Tori sighed, tired. She didn't know why she bothered.

"Tori, get some rest."

"I will. Don't forget to see your guests off properly. We practiced it a lot."

"I know. I will give them the 'thank you for attending gifts' when they leave tomorrow," Piers told her. Tori nodded, satisfied. They'd walked through the entire process over and over, right down to the movements he'd use to hand guests their gifts, which was just a basket of food for their return journey. Tori had been careful to select things that would not seem as some sort of political bribe, but stay firmly in the realm of 'reception gift'. Nothing ostentatious and no promises of favors.

Of course, it was obvious that she herself and her county were aligned with Piers. She lifted her tent flap and found that the light crystals were bright. Nanny Rey was knitting, and Fiona was seated at her desk, on some cushions, practicing writing her name. Her new plush chicken was on another seat in front of her with a paper in front of it and on the other chair, Alexander was in the loaf position.

"Auntie! Welcome back!" Fiona said with a wide smile.

"Look, I'm doing my homework!"

"Oh... let me see... our Fifi is a hard worker," Tori replied with warm praise.

"How do you spell Ewan?" Fiona asked as she took the piece of paper away from her plush chicken. She had a habit of writing the names of others. She'd already learned how to write Kasen's name, 'de Guevera', Ilyana, Nanny, and Alexander. Tori sat with her to write names while asking what she ate for dinner and if Kasen called. He tried to call the children at least twice a week, or as his job allowed. Kasen had indeed called them; Robert had come when he called so they could talk to him.

"Did you tell him about the chicken?"

"Uh-huh, and that we made nuggets. I said I'd make him nuggets next time, too."

"I'm sure he's counting down the days until you can make them." Tori stroked Fiona's hair back.

"All right, it's getting late. You need to sleep soon."

"I slept so much already!" Fiona gasped, shocked to learn she had to sleep.

"Not enough," Tori said.

"Come on, I'll tell you about all the things we're going to do at Uncle Sebby and Auntie Idunn's wedding." The curiosity was too much for her and Fiona reluctantly agreed.

"Is it going to be fun?"

"Very fun," Tori told her.

"Before the wedding, there will be war games." Without Adrien in the general vicinity to irritate her somehow, Tori decided to just leave his investigation to authorities and her brother. She had more important things to deal with, such as exams, Lions Gate's spring and summer release, Viclya's Spring Festival, which was going to be temporarily open to all guests for the week, and the latest imperial-family appointed task.

Tori had limited mental and emotional capacity to deal with everything, and if she were being honest, she did not want to. She made a conscious choice to focus on her immediate issues. If Adrien made a move, she still had resources to protect herself and others. Although, that didn't stop her from listening to Piers and Kasen's occasional reports on his status. Surprisingly, Adrien did not stop in Chetterswickshire. He seemed to be going across the empire to King's Harbor.

"Is he fleeing the country?" Tori asked as she sat up at her desk. She nearly pricked her finger on her embroidery needle when she heard it. Visiting her relatives in Moss Hill aside, if she were going to King's Harbor it would either be for business or to get on a boat and leave.

"He arrived this morning and has settled into a small inn. He has not yet made physical contact with others, but he is still being watched," Piers told her.

"Is he allowed to leave?"

"The formal paperwork has just been submitted. He should not be allowed to leave the empire until the investigation is over and he has paid any dues. Marquess O'Tuagh has been notified and all the ports will be closed to him."

"What if he tries to sneak out? Such as disguising himself or hiding in a crate?" She'd seen movies, it was possible.

"As he is under observation, he will not leave so easily. Anything coming in and out of the inn will be thoroughly checked."

"I suppose the other option is he's there to do some more shady business dealings."

"Or contact others. They will continue to observe." Tori ran a hand down her face.

"I leave it to the professionals." The comcry was quiet for a moment and Tori expected to end the call and finish her embroidery break so she could return to revising her notes.

"How was your day?" Piers asked, his voice a bit quieter.

"It's midterm exam week, Piers. All I've been doing is reviewing notes," Tori replied. She raised a brow.

"Are you at home?"

"Alexander says-""Nyaow!"

"Kitty!" Tori lit up. She really missed having a fluffy animal around when she was stressed.

"How are you? Do you miss me? I miss you so much."

"Nyaow...."

"I love you, too, Alexander. We'll go to the delta next weekend again, okay?"

"Are you planning my brother's party?" Piers asked. Gideon's birthday was less than a month after Piers' and he had strongly hinted that he wanted to have it in Viclya. She really couldn't blame him for wanting to have his party there. It was more relaxing and there were activities to do beyond ballroom dancing and a banquet. He'd seen how it went for people his age and knew it was popular with the aristocracy, so young nobles his age would enjoy it. He enjoyed it.

His entire family from his grandfather who got drunk and ordered a hammock to be brought back to the palace with them, to his brother, who got his favorite crepe mille cake, enjoyed it. However, just because they all enjoyed it didn't mean they'd come again so soon considering the security concerns of the entire family being there. According to Axton, Gideon had almost cried in the carriage when his parents told him that he would have his birthday at the palace.

Tori was sure that he was exaggerating, as Ilyana had done, but when they were in class, Gideon seemed so depressed, he only ate one of his scones.

"I'm not planning it," Tori said in a firm voice.

"I am working in conjunction with palace staff to ensure suitable entertainment and food." Goddammit, I'm planning it.

"You're very good, Tori," Piers told her.

"Thank you for doing this for Gideon."

"I'm not doing this for Gideon. Your parents are paying me, and I need money," she retorted. She felt a little bad for Gideon as his hopes were crushed, but she was also very lazy. Unfortunately, she still needed money, and this was a legitimate job she and Ilyana could exploit.

"Is it too hard?" Piers sounded disapproving. He had been against having Gideon's party at the delta because Tori already did so much for his family for his party - and he was the one who was Tori's friend, but his parents still reached out to Tori to ask for her assistance. When Tori mentioned her new, unwanted 'project', she was surprised that they hadn't told him.

"There are other planners. I will speak to my parents."

"Forget it," Tori said as she waved a hand in front of her and leaned back against her seat.

"It's just providing activities and food. I don't have to worry about the venue." Her people just had to come in, set up, and were done with it. Also, she already had a vision of what she wanted to do and with such a generous budget, she was going to do her best to make it happen if only to increase her reputation and that of Duel. The imperial couple and Gideon were very hands-off. Gideon had told her what she wanted, which she then ignored because she thought his ideas were a bit dull.

Whoever said poverty limits the imagination had never met Gideon.

"Then, rest when you can. If you need anything, tell me."

"I will. Goodnight, Piers. Goodnight, Alexander!"" Nyaow!" The faint meow made her relax a bit before she swept her finger across the comcry and ended the call. There was one thing that concerned Tori about Gideon's party and that was whether he would invite Alessa. While he hadn't brought it up when he first probed how she felt about having his party in Viclya, Tori knew he'd like to invite her. Luckily, the imperial couple was making him have his party at the palace.

Unluckily, the imperial couple didn't like Alessa and getting her an invitation would be a task. At least, it wasn't up to Tori to decide. She shook her head and returned to her notes revision. They had one more day of exams and Ilyana was doing one last review session. After the last of the exams the next day, they did their customary decompression at Cafe Fortuna. It was enough to eat and be lazy for an afternoon before a weekend of running errands and practice.

This year, Sonia had decided to skip the second day of the Spring Three-Day.

"It's JP's time to shine," she said with a grin as she patted her brother's shoulder. JP rolled his eyes.

"The cross-country event is so long," JP said.

"I don't want to do it, but the equestrian team will not let me skip it this year."

"Wait, the only reason you didn't do it the last two years is because it's too long?" Albert asked. The dressage pairs portion was a few minutes long and the archery run was even shorter depending on how fast a participant was. When they attended the cross-country event on the second day for Sonia, they'd have to wait some time before the participants entered the stadium for the final round. In that period of waiting, they'd just sit around and eat. JP nodded.

"It's also the messiest, as the horses go through water and mud. Your pants get wet and it's uncomfortable to ride."

"It's an endurance race for a reason," Sonia said with a grin. Her brother scoffed.

"I'd rather endure from the stands while eating festival food."

"Is the Sword Association doing the pinecone challenge again?" Henrik asked. Tori nodded.

"Yes, and we're doing a more advanced level where the pinecones won't be tossed, but hurled at different parts of your body. Axton is looking forward to it."

"The Tabletop Gaming Club will have their exhibition tent next door, since half the club is made up of Sword Association members," Ilyana said.

"We'll be teaching guests and offering a few different games."

"Remember, no betting," Tori said in a firm voice.

"It's prohibited on school grounds."

"Officially...." Albert said as he looked away. The bell to the cafe rang signaling someone entering and the group lounging around on the plush seats and settee looked towards the door. Gideon walked in with four imperial knights and looked around with an excited look on his face.

"Why is it that when he's excited, I get nervous...." Tori muttered as her eyes squinted.

"Guevera!"

"Do I not suffer enough?" Tori said as she tilted her head back and looked at the ceiling. She let out a heavy breath.

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"Can you give this invitation to Conner?" Gideon walked swiftly to them and rummaged through his satchel to take out an invitation. Tori raised a brow and extended her hand. She didn't get up, as Ilyana sprawled across the settee and used her as a pillow.

"We'll see him this weekend," Tori said as she took hold of the invitation and lifted it up.

"I'll make sure he gets it."

"Thank you." He then held out more invitations.

"I assumed that since you are planning the activities and food for my birthday celebration, you would already be in attendance, but I've prepared these invitations for the rest of you." Several pairs of eyes settled on him with suspicion. Gideon looked happy giving them out, but when no one raised their hands to take one from his outstretched hand, his smile began to falter, and his face reddened. The knight behind him let out a little cough and looked at Tori beseechingly.

"Do we still need an invitation to get in?" Henrik broke the awkward silence and plucked one of the invitations from Gideon's hand.

"We were just going to go with Tori," Albert said. In fact, that was the original plan. They were just going to crash the event, albeit with Piers permission. Tori could see the brief flash of relief on Gideon's face as the others took the invitations one by one.

"Just in case. Mother said that you are welcome to stay the night if it gets too late, as well," Gideon told them. Tori looked at Ilyana's invitation as Ilyana, still laying across the settee, slid her thumb beneath the flap of the envelope and removed the embossed ivory card with gold foil. It was basic: stating the date and time, as well as the dress code.

"Tori, what games did you pick?" Ilyana asked.

"A few games of chance from the arcade: ring toss, ball throwing. Some that involve a little more skill, like darts and a coin toss. I'm setting up an ax throwing station that will be ranked with a prize. Bingo. I also have two new larger things I'm bringing over. You roll these balls into a hole and depending on the hole, it will land on a lever that makes a horse move a few spots. Whoever gets to the end first wins. There are five seats per game.

I also finally got that air hockey table to work, but it belongs to Anahata Island, so it's a loaner," Tori told them lazily. The air hockey table was an Anahata Island treasure, and after Tori figured out how to get it to work the way she remembered, it was often used as entertainment on the island. Master Ramos had refused to sell it to the Emperor Emeritus when he came to visit, saying 'he had enough crystal powered tables'. When Piers or his knights accompanied her there, they'd play a round or more.

Piers enjoyed it so much that Tori had one made for his birthday. She'd even painted 'Happy 21st Birthday From Tori & Alexander' on one corner. It was going to be moved to one of the upper floors of his house in the Academic Quarter, as he believed that if he brought it to the imperial palace, his parents would confiscate it for their own use. Tori was sure he was talking about the Empress.

"There are going to be new games?" Gideon's face lit up.

"Thank you, Guevera!"

"My lady, has the menu been confirmed?" One of his knights asked. Tori found that they seemed to have taken a hint from Piers' knights and were more comfortable asking her questions in such casual settings.

"It's a garden party and we're focusing on chilled drinks and bite-sized finger foods the entire night. There are six kinds of appetizers, eight kinds of entrees, and three potato-based snacks that are finger foods, totaling to seventeen – Prince Gideon's age. There is also a dessert station, featuring the frozen fruit cream from Ewan's party," Tori replied, and she vaguely heard a knight whisper under his breath that he was happy to be alive.

"Also, I'm bringing some kids and Nanny Rey."

"Of course, of course," Gideon said.

"It will be livelier." As if he could stop her.

"Your Highness, did you invite von Dorn?" Sonia asked with narrowed eyes. Gideon nodded.

"Yes, he's my closest friend." That was to be expected and Tori didn't mind. In fact, she hoped that Fabian would join them to further strengthen his ties to Gideon.

"What about Hart?" Sonia continued, this time her voice had a hint of distaste. The atmosphere seemed to get colder, and all eyes turned to Gideon. Tori also wanted to know if Hart was invited. Gideon shifted awkwardly, but nodded.

"I did invite her." A crunch of paper was heard, and Tori saw Sonia and Ilyana crush the invitations in their hands. Gideon took a step back and swallowed hard.

"But she declined!" Tori drew her head back and blinked.

"She declined?" That's not like her. Gideon nodded.

"She got news this week and has been looking forward to taking over and getting to work." Albert tilted his head to the side. JP furrowed his brows.

"Did Baroness Hart get her Lycée Project reviewed and reassigned back to her?" Gideon shook his head, but seemed happy.

"No, but her new business will certainly help when she does."

"New business?" Tori asked, narrowing her eyes a bit.

"With what money....?" Something is wrong... I don't like this.

"Don't worry. She doesn't have to worry about money anymore," Gideon said with a relieved smile. Tori felt the corner of her eye twitch. On one hand, that was a good thing. On the other, it was very suspicious, and all her senses were telling her something was wrong.

"Is her barony starting to recover?" Tori asked. She wanted to say that if that were the case, Alessa should still be careful with her spending.

"No-""Then, did one of her father's investments go through? Is her family out of debt now?" Ilyana asked. They were reasonably up to date on the Hart's financial concerns thanks to Madam Voss. Gideon shook his head.

"No, Mr. Rosiek gave Alessa ownership of the Golden Cow." Tori and Ilyana stared at him, dumbfounded as a few gasps were heard around them. Ilyana's face twisted with disbelief and Tori couldn't help herself.

"The fucking bullshit is this."