Three weeks had passed since I'd shocked the council into submission, and the effects were already rippling through the duchy like stones thrown into still water. Reports filtered back from the northern provinces spoke of genuine surprise—and for the first time in years, gratitude toward the Dreiss name. Village elders who had expected harsh winter months were now writing letters of thanks, their words carefully formal but tinged with real relief.
It was a strange feeling, reading praise directed at Alaric's face while wearing it myself.
I was reviewing grain distribution reports in my private study when Sebastian appeared in the doorway, his usual composed expression replaced by something that looked remarkably like barely contained panic.
"Your Grace," he began, then paused to clear his throat. "We have... unexpected visitors."
I looked up from the ledgers, noting the way his hands trembled slightly as he held a cream-colored calling card. In all my time observing him, Sebastian had never been anything but perfectly controlled. Whatever had shaken him was significant.
"Visitors?" I set down my pen, giving him my full attention. "At this hour?"
It was barely past noon, but in aristocratic society, unannounced visits were either emergencies or power plays. Given Sebastian's demeanor, I was betting on the latter.
"Princess Seraphina Blackthorne has arrived, Your Grace. Along with her personal guard and several members of the royal court." Sebastian's voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "She's requested an immediate audience."
My blood went cold.
Princess Seraphina wasn't supposed to appear in the story for another year and a half. In the original game, she'd been a secondary character—the heroine's rival for several of the love interests' attention, a beautiful but calculating noble who used her royal status to get what she wanted. She'd also been one of Alaric's most vocal critics during his downfall, her testimony helping to seal his fate in multiple routes.
What was she doing here now, so far ahead of schedule?
"Did she say what she wanted?" I asked, trying to keep my voice level while my mind raced through possibilities.
"No, Your Grace. Only that it concerned matters of ducal importance and couldn't wait for formal appointment procedures." Sebastian hesitated, then added quietly, "Your Grace, she brought quite an entourage. This isn't a social call."
I stood, smoothing down the dark blue jacket I'd chosen for today's paperwork. If Princess Seraphina wanted to play politics, then I'd give her the full Alaric treatment—but not the version she was expecting.
"Where did you seat her?"
"The Blue Drawing Room, Your Grace. I thought it appropriate for—"
"Perfect." The Blue Drawing Room was one of the more intimidating spaces in the manor, all dark wood paneling and portraits of stern-faced ancestors. It was designed to make visitors feel small and uncertain. "Have refreshments brought, but nothing too elaborate. Light tea service should suffice."
Sebastian nodded, though his confusion was evident. The old Alaric would have either refused to see her entirely or made her wait for hours as a power play. Offering appropriate hospitality while maintaining subtle psychological pressure was a more nuanced approach than anyone expected from the supposed brute.
"And Sebastian?" I called as he turned to leave. "I want you to stay during the meeting. Take notes."
His eyebrows rose nearly to his hairline, but he simply bowed. "Of course, Your Grace."
The walk to the Blue Drawing Room gave me precious minutes to think. Princess Seraphina's early arrival could mean several things, none of them particularly good for my long-term survival prospects. Either events in the capital were moving faster than the game's original timeline suggested, or my recent policy changes had attracted more attention than I'd intended.
Or—and this was the possibility that made my stomach clench—someone had already noticed that Duke Alaric von Dreiss was no longer behaving like Duke Alaric von Dreiss.
I paused outside the drawing room door, taking a moment to center myself. Whatever game the princess was playing, I needed to be three steps ahead of her. In the original story, Alaric's interactions with Seraphina had always ended badly for him, partly because he'd never bothered to treat her with the respect due her station, and partly because he'd been too arrogant to recognize the political trap being laid.
This time would be different.
I pushed open the doors and stepped into the room with the confident stride that came so naturally to this body. Princess Seraphina rose from her chair with fluid grace, and I had to admit that the game's character designers had done her justice. She was stunning in the way that only true aristocracy could manage—blonde hair that caught the light like spun gold, violet eyes that seemed to see everything, and the kind of poise that spoke of years of court training.
She was also studying me with an intensity that immediately put me on guard.
"Your Highness." I offered her a bow that was precisely calibrated—respectful enough to acknowledge her rank, but not so deep as to suggest subservience. "This is an unexpected pleasure."
"Duke Dreiss." Her voice was like honey over steel, sweet on the surface but with an edge that could cut. "I do hope you'll forgive the impropriety of an unannounced visit. Recent events have made it necessary to... accelerate certain conversations."
She gestured gracefully to the chair across from her, an invitation to sit in my own drawing room that was simultaneously polite and subtly commanding. I took the seat, noting how she'd positioned herself to catch the best light from the tall windows—a small advantage that most people wouldn't even notice.
"Recent events?" I kept my tone mildly curious rather than defensive. "I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific, Your Highness. The duchy has been quite busy lately."
Her smile was sharp as winter frost. "Indeed it has. Reduced taxes, emergency grain shipments, infrastructure improvements—quite a departure from your usual... approach to governance."
There it was. She knew about the policy changes, which meant she'd been watching the duchy far more closely than anyone had reason to expect. The question was whether she saw my actions as a threat or an opportunity.
"A lord who doesn't adapt to changing circumstances is a lord who doesn't deserve his lands," I replied smoothly. "The northern provinces have been struggling. It seemed prudent to address their needs before they became... larger problems."
"How remarkably pragmatic of you." There was something almost like approval in her voice, but her eyes remained calculating. "Of course, such dramatic policy reversals do tend to attract attention. Questions are being asked in certain circles about what might have prompted such... sudden wisdom."
Sebastian entered quietly with the tea service, setting it between us with practiced efficiency. I used the interruption to study Seraphina more carefully. In the game, she'd always been ambitious and manipulative, but she'd also been pragmatic above all else. She backed winners and discarded losers with ruthless efficiency.
The fact that she was here, now, suggested she was trying to determine which category I fell into.
"Sugar?" I offered, playing the gracious host while my mind worked through the implications of her words.
"One cube, thank you." She accepted the delicate china cup with elegant fingers that I noticed wore several expensive rings—markers of wealth and status, but also potential tools for less honorable purposes. One particular piece caught my eye: a ring with a deep blue stone that seemed to pulse with its own inner light.
That wasn't just jewelry. That was magical enhancement, probably for mental protection or communication. Princess Seraphina had come prepared for more than just a social chat.
"You mentioned questions being asked," I said, settling back with my own cup. "Might I ask what sort of questions?"
Her laugh was like silver bells, bright and perfectly controlled. "Oh, the usual court gossip. Is Duke Dreiss finally maturing into his responsibilities? Has he perhaps found religion? Or—" Her pause was artfully timed, "—is someone else pulling the strings now?"
The accusation hung in the air between us like smoke. She was testing me, probing to see if I'd react with Alaric's typical explosive temper or if I'd reveal whatever game she thought I was playing.
Instead, I sipped my tea and smiled.
"Your Highness, if you suspected I was being manipulated by outside forces, surely you wouldn't have come here alone." I gestured to the room around us. "After all, if someone else were truly in control, this could be quite dangerous for you."
It was a masterful deflection—acknowledging her suspicion while simultaneously pointing out the flaw in her logic. If she truly believed I was compromised, she would have brought more than just a handful of guards.
Her violet eyes glittered with what might have been amusement. "Perhaps I have more confidence in my ability to handle unexpected situations than most people would assume."
"Or perhaps," I countered gently, "you're not here because you think I'm being controlled, but because you want to understand what's changed and how that change might benefit you."
For the first time since she'd entered the room, Princess Seraphina's perfect composure slipped just slightly. It was barely perceptible—a tiny tightening around her eyes, a barely-there pause before her next smile—but it was enough to confirm my suspicion.
She hadn't come here to expose a conspiracy. She'd come to join one.