Chapter 2

When I returned to the Stonebridge residence, my grandmother and mother pulled me into their arms. Their eyes were red, but they did not press me for answers, only quiet heartbreak.

This kind of warmth was something I had never once felt in the Blackwell Manor.

I did not wallow in grief. That very afternoon, I summoned the managers of all the businesses that had come with my marriage. Every one of them was a trusted confidant of my family.

I gave them just one order. "Cut off every business dealing with the Blackwell Manor. Withdraw all the Stonebridge properties, shops, and connections immediately. Settle the accounts and leave them not a single coin."

They carried out my instructions swiftly. Overnight, the whole Blackwell Manor was thrown into chaos. By the next morning, reports came back.

The Blackwell Manor's accountant stood before the empty vault, so shocked and distraught that he seemed to age overnight. Dozens of shops that kept the manor afloat had shut their doors at once. The managers were replaced by unfamiliar faces.

A residence that once bustled with people was suddenly quiet enough to hear a pin drop.

Charlotte could not wait to take over the household accounts and show off her new status as lady of the house. She flashed her lady's token, only to discover that every steward answered to Evelyn's token.

She tried to install her own people, but the old staff made things difficult for her at every turn. She ended up embarrassing herself.

I heard she flew into a rage and smashed a set of ceramics from the former dynasty. Ironically, it had been the least valuable set in my wedding gift.

At first, Edward did not take it seriously. He reassured Charlotte, saying it was just one of Evelyn's little tantrums. It would blow over in a few days.

He thought he held the reins of power, that these household matters were nothing more than petty squabbles.

But he soon found that he was wrong.

At the next morning's court session, Edward sensed something was off.

The officials who once flattered him and followed his lead now kept their distance. Their eyes avoided his. Their replies were perfunctory.

Before Edward could piece it together, my uncle, the Minister of Finance, stepped forward. He laid before the court a memorial accusing Blackwell Manor of concealing 180 million dollars from the national treasury under the guise of military expenses, a debt long overdue.

Edward's expression darkened on the spot. That money had been his slush fund, the silver he used to buy loyalty and keep people in his pocket. Back when the Stonebridge family stood behind him, the Minister of Finance had never dared press him for payment. Now, that memorial was the first blade drawn against him.

Not a single official spoke up for him in court.

For the first time, he knew what it meant to stand alone.

Meanwhile, I sat in the sunroom at the Stonebridge estate, listening to the reports. A maid replaced my cup with a fresh one. Steam curled into the air.

I lifted the cup and blew gently across the surface. My expression did not change.

Edward, this little mess was only the amuse-bouche. Everything you took from me, I was going to collect back, with interest.

*****

A few days later, an urgent dispatch from the frontier arrived in the Capital City. Food supplies and winter clothing had been cut off.

The Northern Frontier was about to plunge into deep winter. Without those supplies, hundreds of thousands of soldiers would be left to starve and freeze in the snow. Once morale cracked, the consequences would be catastrophic.

And the most critical supply line of all had always run through the Stonebridge family's trade network.

A messenger sent by one of Edward's trusted generals practically stormed into Blackwell Manor. His tone carried open frustration, even accusation.

Edward flew into a rage in his study, smashing whatever was within reach. He had probably never been spoken to like that by his own men.

Furious, he went in person to the largest trading house under the Stonebridge name. He thought that, as Warlord, he could still fix everything with a single command.

Instead, the manager greeted him with perfect courtesy and absolute refusal. "Lord Blackwell, my apologies. The ownership has changed. The new proprietor has ordered that no goods are to be released on credit."

Edward tried to throw his weight around, issuing a direct order to release the shipments.

But no sooner had he spoken than officers from the City Magistrate arrived. They were polite as they invited him aside and warned him not to engage in "coercive purchasing or market disruption."

The City Magistrate had once studied under my father.

Edward got the cold shoulder and slunk back to the manor, utterly humiliated.

Charlotte hurried over to him, her face full of concern. She brought out all her private savings, hoping to help him through the crisis.

But that small sum was nothing more than a drop in the bucket compared to the massive military shortfall.

Then, she suggested selling off the manor's assets.

Only after Edward ordered an inventory did he realize, with growing despair, that most of the truly valuable items in this grand residence bore the mark of my family's name. They were not his to sell.

That night, Edward was completely overwhelmed. For the first time, the loss of silver and influence kept him awake until dawn. He could not help thinking back.

Over the past three years, no matter how large the military gap or how tangled the politics, Evelyn had always handled it with ease. He had assumed it was simple.

Only now did he understand that behind it all had been the full strength of the Stonebridge family holding him up.

Right then, I was at the estate outside the capital. The conservatory was full of blooming flowers.

Charles and I stood before a large sand table marked with the terrain and troop deployments of the northern frontier.

"With this trade route cut off, Edward will have no choice but to reroute provisions from the south," I said. "But that journey is long. It will drain both time and resources."

I picked up a small flag and planted it in a key position. "Charles, we can use these businesses to support our own generals. It is time to build a new military force for the Stonebridge family."

Charles looked at me, his eyes filled with pride and admiration. "Evelyn, you were born to command. Being locked away in the manor was never the life you deserved," he said.

I smiled. My eyes felt brighter than they had in years.

Charles was right. I was Evelyn Stonebridge, the daughter of the Great General. Since childhood, I had studied strategy, not etiquette.

For love, I had dulled my edge for three years. Now, it was time for the world to see what a daughter of the Stonebridges was truly capable of.