The royal council was engulfed in silence. The high walls of the hall reflected the faint sunlight that filtered through the ornate windows, casting shadows on the faces of the waiting attendees.
The king gave the order to the prime minister to begin.
The minister stood and said:
"Gentlemen, I am pleased to announce that we have successfully completed the initial production phase of the new banknotes. They have been designed in multiple forms, with high precision standards, and… inspired by a brilliant idea that originated from one of this council's members."
He looked directly at Irene without mentioning her name. Yet, everyone turned to her.
The minister said with deliberate gravity:
"Princess Irene."
There was a display case arranged with the new paper samples, and under the glass, a lamp was slowly turned on by the minister, revealing various copies with different symbols beneath it.
Someone whispered in amazement:
"A hidden symbol that actually appears when light is shone on it… this is truly a remarkable success."
Another said in astonishment:
"Elegant. These papers are not just money… they represent the identity of the kingdom. Well done, Princess."
Voices of admiration for Irene rose, then applause echoed throughout the hall. Genuine applause. Not formal or polite. Applause recognizing true merit.
Irene sat on her chair, her back straight but her shoulders trembling slightly with shyness. She bowed her head and whispered softly:
"Thank you…"
Meanwhile, Lucas continued to stare at her from his seat across the room. His eyes revealed nothing—completely still. No pride, no objection. Only silent observation, as if studying her.
The king spoke in a soft yet measured tone:
"Irene… what you have accomplished is no ordinary feat. And as a gesture of appreciation, and… knowing well that you would refuse if I asked you to accept a direct reward… I have anticipated you."
A charged silence followed.
"I have decided to grant you the Southern Crystal Mine. It has now been officially registered under your name… so you cannot refuse it like that."
Everyone in the hall was stunned.
Irene quietly gasped, her eyes widening as she looked around as if seeking confirmation that she was not dreaming.
"A… mine? In my name?!"
She turned to Richard seated on her right, her eyes questioning. He smiled and said simply, as he already knew:
"You deserve this, Irene. What you have done is now a great treasure for the kingdom, forever etched in history."
Irene said, "But this is too much… and I don't know how to deal with these matters. I have no idea what I will do with this mine."
Richard smiled and said,
"I will personally supervise its management. I will ensure it becomes a successful and secure project, so don't worry, Princess—you can rely on me."
Irene put her hand over her mouth, deeply moved, not knowing how to handle the situation, and said in a trembling voice:
"I am very grateful to you, Your Majesty… truly, I don't know how to express my feelings… my thanks are not enough…"
A council member raised his voice:
"I admit… I was one of the first to oppose your presence here… but I truly wronged you, Princess, and I offer my sincere apology before everyone. You saved us from a dire financial crisis, and with your brilliant idea, we avoided a massive economic collapse that could have even threatened the kingdom's security. We all owe the princess now."
Irene raised her head, looked at him humbly, and said firmly yet sincerely:
"I only wanted to help. Since I became part of this family… I felt it was also my responsibility to do something."
The man smiled and said:
"You were in the right place, at the right time. And I hereby announce… I will be the first investor in your mine, especially since His Majesty will oversee it as he stated earlier."
Voices began to rise in agreement, some volunteering contributions and participation. One said emotionally:
"That's true. We owe you, Princess… and this is the least we can offer you."
Irene felt a mix of intense emotions—a blend of triumph because she finally managed to prove her place, not only by words but by deeds. She felt proud of herself and that every second she had spent those days without food or rest had finally borne fruit.
And now she owned a crystal mine she had never even dreamed of, even in her wildest dreams. The notes she designed were like magical papers that changed her life. Most importantly, it was for the sake of her plan.
The meeting ended earlier than usual.
As the attendees left the hall, the king remained standing, talking with the minister near the side exit. Irene stepped forward with a slight bow and said:
"Your Majesty?"
He responded kindly:
"Yes, Princess, please?"
She said, casting a calm glance of gratitude:
"Thank you again for what you have given me… but I only wanted to help. I did not do it for any reward…"
King Christophe smiled with genuine admiration:
"I know… and this is the least we can offer you. Consider it a gift of thanks from me to you, nothing more."
Irene smiled and said: "I cannot refuse even if I wanted to, right?"
The king laughed and said: "Yes, Princess, it is yours now; you cannot return it."
She bowed respectfully and said: "At your command, Your Majesty."
Then, adjusting her posture, she added:
"In fact… I will accompany Lucas on a business trip in a few days, and afterwards… I would like to borrow some books from the royal library, if you don't mind, Your Majesty."
The king laughed and said:
"Take whatever you want, Princess. As I said before, the royal palace belongs to the royal family, and you don't need special permission from me to do so. You can take the books and you don't even have to return them."
But she shook her head and said firmly:
"Thank you, Your Majesty, but I will return them to their place. These books are a true heritage of the state, and no page within them should be treated carelessly. All books belong to the place they deserve."
The king laughed again, looking toward the minister:
"I truly admire your character, Princess Irene. Well then, as you wish, Princess."
She bowed respectfully, bid them farewell, and left.
As she walked away, the minister approached King Christophe and whispered:
"She is very smart… I don't know if King Arxon chose her by chance or intentionally now, but whatever the intentions, we must not relax our defenses. If any failure occurs in this project, the princess will be the first accused… And don't forget the banknotes are attributed to her, and the symbol under the light carries her ownership now, which is almost dangerous, as I said before, Your Majesty."
Then he continued hesitantly:
"Also… forgive me, Your Majesty… but don't you think granting her the crystal mine was a hasty decision? We haven't confirmed everything yet, and it's hard to believe she alone designed the notes and thought of the protection. I still don't believe her."
Christophe answered, turning his eyes toward the door:
"The mine was not granted only as a reward. It is also a means of control. We will see where the currency leads us through it. She is now free to spend the money as she wishes, but we will know all her movements thanks to the reports, especially since King Richard will manage the mine as I requested of him."
The minister raised his eyebrows in surprise, then bowed:
"I apologize… it seems I rushed. Forgive me, my lord, I did not know these details."
The king answered as he left:
"It's fine… but don't doubt my decisions again, Minister. I am the king here, and I care for this kingdom more than anyone else, and I do not tolerate any negligence in its security details. You know this best. Her presence in the council benefits Valerian more than it harms."
"Understood, my lord. I will never doubt again."
Outside, Lucas was standing, watching Bastien's every move as he spoke with a council member, his usual quiet smile fixed. Bastien's true reason for coming to the council was precisely to prevent him from approaching Irene, because Lucas knew Bastien's obsession and madness well and knew that if he doesn't get what he wants, he would destroy or eliminate it, just as he used to do when he was young.
Back then, when Lucas found him near the palace hitting a small cat hard and the cat was completely still,
Lucas, then ten years old, looked at him fearfully and said:
"What… what are you doing? Why… did you kill it?"
Bastien looked at him coldly, eyes devoid of life:
"Because I called it repeatedly and it didn't come to me. This is what happens when you ignore me." He smiled a terrifying smile and continued hitting the cat's corpse.
Lucas stood frozen in place, eyes wide. That incident and many others remained etched in his memory.
Returning to the present, Richard passed by with a council member beside him but stopped for a moment and looked at his son Lucas and said:
"Go home with your wife. I have to go elsewhere."
Lucas did not look at him,
which made Richard angry and say sharply:
"What? Are you ignoring my words now? Didn't you hear what I said?"
Lucas simply replied coldly:
"Yes, I heard you."
Richard furrowed his brow, clenched his teeth, and said, "I will deal with you later."
Then he turned and left without another word.
Irene came out minutes later, and as she approached, Lucas said:
"Wait."
She stopped and turned to him fearfully:
"Ah… Lucas, aren't you going back to work?"
He answered:
"I'll take you home first."
She nodded gently:
"No need, I can go back alone like last time."
At that moment, the crown prince stood at the far end of the corridor, watching the scene from afar. He was not smiling, just observing and uninterested in the surrounding chatter.
Lucas looked at him with trained eyes, immediately understanding his intentions.
He said to Irene abruptly:
"Move… I don't have time."
Irene frowned in annoyance but did not respond.
She took a few quick steps, following him, something in her chest choking as she decided to ignore him. Did he want to cling to her now?
---
Inside the royal carriage…
The atmosphere was heavy, and the wheels struck the paved road in a steady rhythm. Irene sat beside the window, holding the edge of her dress between her fingers, while Lucas sat opposite her, arms crossed and chest leaning back, eyes closed.
She hesitated slightly before breaking the silence:
"Why did you suddenly want to take me?"
He barely opened his eyes, glanced sideways briefly, then said coldly:
"Because I wanted to."
Her eyebrows rose slightly at the curt reply, then she let out a short breath, muttering to herself:
"Richard was right, after all…"
She looked at him again; he seemed very calm, so she wanted to talk to him about the necklace she still had in mind since she heard its price. She wanted to seize the opportunity and talk about it so it wouldn't happen again in the future. She felt if she didn't speak now, no other chance would come.
Irene said:
"In fact… I heard from some ladies at Queen Elizabeth's birthday party about the price of that necklace." She paused, then added slowly, watching his reaction:
"Isn't it… excessive? I never asked for it. And the price paid… was so huge that it could have saved… many people from poverty. You didn't have to buy it at all."
Lucas opened his eyes fully this time but didn't look at her. However, he completely misunderstood her words. Irene's spontaneous remark hurt his pride, and he thought she was being arrogant toward him. But instead of seriousness, a crooked, mocking smile appeared on his lips, like a small knife scratching her calm.
"I told you before, if you don't like it, just get rid of it… but I didn't know you hated it that much… you can just put it now in your crystal vault as decoration since you own a mine now, it will at least look right there and you won't have to look at it anyway."
She stared at him for two seconds, eyebrows knit:
"I never said I hated it. What are you talking about?"
He returned to his original position, signaling the end of the conversation on his part.
His words were provocative and made Irene feel a little regret for opening this topic. She realized there was no point in continuing. She turned her gaze outside, watching the trees pass by in broken shadows, but her heart was still unsettled by his sarcasm on such a serious matter.
Meanwhile, Lucas's mind screamed thoughts he did not voice:
"Why waste my time attending the council just to protect her? She's annoying… putting herself in unnecessary situations… and keeps making me angry all the time… Is that the only thing she does in exchange for that necklace?! What kind of necklaces were you wearing in that damned Iskard? What an annoyance… Did I really look foolish buying that silly necklace? What a waste."
He didn't try to understand the reason but felt his grip tighten on his arms, as if testing his patience with each passing minute.
Each misunderstood the other completely.
---
ily guys I'm sorry 🥲🙏🏻