“I’m sure you know by now,” Viscount Arlen leaned back haughtily, “The quality of carrots improves in the warm region.” Though, even his arrogant façade was unable to hide the desperation laced in his voice.

The Viscount pushed forward papers he brought. Aden quickly scanned through the documents and his eyes that were used to looking at a large amount of texts at a time was able to quickly pick up the main points.

“The spike in the temperature of the weather was over the span of twenty years, but less than thirty,” he summarized the points in a calm voice.

“Yes. The central region is unable to produce mass quantities of carrots. My farm is the only one that produces and supplies carrots around the capital. And the carrots are of great quality, you won’t be able to find a single carrot smaller than my hand!” The Viscount boasted while sticking out his open palm.

Aden looked with distaste at the fat right hand that looked like it had never even held a pen, let alone a sword in front of him and nodded.

It was at that moment when the door slowly swung open with a creak. The two men’s gaze turned to the door. The person that entered was a woman wearing a black veil.

The fancy red and golden ornaments in her hair twinkled as the light danced off them. Her thin wrist was briefly visible when she reached to close the door. It was a hand that looked white and soft without any blemishes. As she turned her head, the veil moved and revealed her neckline. The lady then quickly grabbed the veil as if she didn’t want it to move any further.

“Welcome,” Viscount Arlen spoke.

Aden stood up as he knew who she was and her gaze turned to him.

“And she is?”

Arlen looked back and forth between the two of them. Whoever she was, she seemed to be someone at a higher position than him. He remembered how the deputy had introduced himself as the deputy to a manager and how he mentioned that the manager was very busy so wasn’t sure if they could attend personally.

Arlen remembered the displeasure he felt as a mere merchant had sent a deputy to see a noble but decided to let it go as he just assumed that merchants were just lowly people who didn’t know the etiquettes of the noble in the first place.

But how did someone so busy make it here?

“Acid Merchant is deeply interested in this deal,” the man in front of him had said. The fact that the lady was here seemed to prove that sentiment. That made Viscount Arlen feel better.

“She is managing the northern circulation for our merchant.” Aden introduced her. He was polite like he was introducing a superior. Viscount Arlen bowed a little as he realized her position. He wasn’t being a sycophant, he comforted himself, he was just following the noble’s etiquettes.

“This deal, I hope we can make it work.”

Aden held back a laugh when he saw Arlen trying his hardest to maintain his stature in front of them. But everyone here knew. The person who was holding the sword here was the woman in the black veil. The person who Viscount Arlen was trying to pretend not to brownnose.

***

Ilyn took a deep breath as she stood in front of the door to the meeting room. She had to remember, right now, she was not Ilyn De Arlen. Even if she walked in without the veil, she was no longer a youngling of Viscount Arlen.

She had no reason to fear Viscount Arlen. Even though he is my father, he can no longer do anything to me.

She reached for the handle and as she was turning it open, she heard a footstep coming towards her from the end of the hallway. She glanced in the direction and saw that it was a knight. She soon recognized him as the rude knight that figured out which merchant was trading with the north. The knight scanned her with curiosity, but he didn’t seem to recognize her.

Even though her face was hidden by the veil, Ilyn couldn’t help but feel startled. She shook it off before walking into the room with as much confidence as she could muster.

“Welcome.”action

The first thing she saw when she entered the room was Aden then Viscount Arlen who was sitting across from him.

“And she is?”

When she was at home, she remembered him to be much bigger. Until she came to Biflten, much of her world was controlled by Viscount Arlen. If he told her to leave the house, she had to leave the house, if she was told not to leave and shut her mouth, she had to endure the bad rumors and listen. But in front of Aden, Viscount Arlen looked incredibly pathetic.

Aden stood up as he saw Ilyn.

“She is managing the northern circulation for our merchant.” Aden introduced her as a superior.

Ilyn examined the Viscount through her veil. Her chest felt tight, and her heartbeat quickened. She was reminded of the past days when she had to live under him. Ilyn watched as realization slowly hit the Viscount of her title as manager.

Time slowed down uncomfortably as he breathed out, put his hand on his stomach and greeted her as if he was a gentleman, “This deal, I hope we can make it work.”

His words rang in Ilyn’s mind. It was the first time she saw this. The Viscount always belittled merchants and right now he tried to put up a superior front, but Ilyn could see right through him.