Good news was inevitable. Some places had already begun to show results.
However, regarding the matter of rewards—to prevent Dekrian from growing dissatisfied, and also because of the promise made to him—it was still necessary to discuss it with him personally.
…
That afternoon, Seraphina had just finished handling a matter related to the new policy.
The study door was lightly knocked upon. A maid announced that Duke Dekrian requested an audience.
Since she was still on her rest period, in principle, Seraphina had the right to leave it to Movira.
But since it was Dekrian…
Seraphina didn’t mind meeting him. After all, their current relationship as sovereign and subject was quite good.
“Your Highness.” Dekrian bowed first, wearing a perfectly measured smile on his face. “Tomorrow is my daughter’s coming-of-age ceremony. Everything has been prepared. I sincerely hope Your Highness will grace us with your presence.”
“Duke, you’ve already mentioned this several times, haven’t you?” Hearing those all-too-familiar words, Seraphina teased with a smile.
Dekrian naturally laughed apologetically, taking the blame upon himself while smoothly offering another round of flattery.
“Perhaps I have been overly insistent. To be able to invite Your Highness to my humble abode and have you attend my daughter’s ceremony is an honor for both me and my daughter—a tremendous glory for our clan.”
“Alright, alright, enough with the high hat.” Seraphina tried to keep her tone calm, but her slightly sparkling eyes still betrayed a trace of emotion.
Moreover, Seraphina refused to believe Dekrian had come in person just for this one matter.
What exactly was it again? To be honest… she had somewhat forgotten.
“Hmm…” Dekrian was extremely adept at reading the room. Only after seeing that Seraphina was pleased with his words did he pretend to hesitate before revealing the true purpose of his visit.
“Your Highness, the promise you made not long ago… regarding the mine…”
“Oh, that matter.” Although Seraphina had completely forgotten about it, she still had to verbally show its importance and explain why it hadn’t been carried out immediately. “Lately I’ve been busy with the new policies, but I have already reported it to Her Majesty. She said the decree will be issued soon.”
Since Seraphina had given a specific timeframe, there was no need for Dekrian to press further. Tactful and measured exchange was essential for long-term cooperation.
“By the way, for some of the recent decrees, I will need Your Grace’s full cooperation.”
Dekrian respectfully agreed, then bowed and took his leave.
After he left the study, Seraphina leaned back in her chair and gazed at the bright sky outside the window.
For the first time, she would attend a banquet as one of the focal points.
She would probably have to wear an elaborate formal gown and appear before numerous demon nobles in this body.
A feeling of nervousness and shy embarrassment quietly began to spread within her.
Because most of the official documents were being blocked by Movira, she only needed an hour or two to finish an entire day’s work.
This feeling was simply too wonderful!
Dekrian’s tactful yet direct reminder this time also made Seraphina recall the promise she had made to the Giantwing Demons…
“Lina.” She turned to the young girl who had been waiting attentively at her side. “Go and summon the Giantwing Demon representative along with the Bloodborn clan’s secretary.”
The Bloodborn representative was usually this very secretary, but since Dekrian wished to invite Seraphina to the ceremony, he had been staying in the Demon King’s Castle for some time and was also serving as the representative.
Lina accepted the order and left.
Ever since she had dined at the same table as Movira, Lina’s status in the castle had risen even further. Even some minor nobles now had to show her a measure of respect.
Her position was gradually shifting from that of a mere maid to something closer to a household steward—or, in human terms… almost royal?
Thus, Seraphina felt at ease entrusting certain matters to her.
The command was swiftly passed down and executed. Before long, the two demons entered the study side by side.
Seraphina used the interval to draw up a list of assets.
It was as if neither wished to yield to the other; both even competed to take a few more steps ahead so they could stand in front.
The Giantwing Demon representative folded his enormous wings behind his back, a glint of simple-minded greed shining in his eyes.
If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, Seraphina would never have believed those two adjectives could coexist in one person.
As for the Bloodborn beside him, his face was deathly pale and carried the faint scent of blood—deliberately suppressed, detectable only if one paid close attention.
Seraphina dispensed with unnecessary pleasantries; getting straight to the point was what both parties wanted most.
She first turned to the Giantwing Demon representative and picked up the asset list from the desk. “The quality of the ingredients and other goods you procured last time was acceptable. This is the fulfillment of my promise—and because of your enthusiastic support during the new policies, I am adding an additional fifty percent on top of the original amount!”
With that, she handed the list to Lina, who passed it down to the Giantwing Demon below.
“Verify it first, then take it to the relevant department to exchange.”
The handwriting on it was Seraphina’s own; those people should be able to recognize it.
That was not a problem. There was no need to notify them in advance.
She still possessed at least this much authority.
The sheer quantity of gold and gems listed made his breathing grow visibly rougher. His massive wings nearly flared open in excitement.
The Bloodborn beside him couldn’t help but shift a few steps sideways and cast a contemptuous glance, as if saying, Is that really all it takes to impress you?
Still, he couldn’t go too far—the other was, after all, the second son of the Giantwing Demon chieftain and held a higher noble rank than himself.
Immediately afterward, Seraphina turned her gaze to the silent Bloodborn secretary. “Regarding the mining rights to the newly surveyed vein adjacent to Bloodborn territory…”
She withdrew from a drawer a pre-drafted decree template; all that was needed was to fill in the vein’s location, the start date, and the signatures of Movira and herself.
Movira seemed to already know what had been happening lately; she had specially sent a maid to deliver an entire stack of these forms to Seraphina.
And Movira’s name was already signed on them in flowing script!
Is this… complete trust in me…? Seraphina gazed at the elegant signature and sighed softly under her breath.
When signing her own name, her pen visibly paused for a moment.
In the end, she wrote beneath Movira’s name, in the blank space…
Seraphina
In the past, she wouldn’t even have dared dream of such a thing, yet now it was hers for the taking.
Was it because her body had changed?
At the maid’s quiet reminder, Seraphina filled in the location of the vein.
As for the start date…
“Effective immediately!”
For the end date, she simply wrote “to be determined,” implicitly leaving it to Dekrian to mine as long as he wished.
While writing, she spoke to the Bloodborn below.
“All mining operations will be fully under your clan’s responsibility, but the proceeds must be turned over to the royal treasury according to the following ratio.”
She set down the quill and signaled the maid beside her to pass the document down. The division ratio and mining regulations were clearly written on it.
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