A few minutes later, thanks to the verbal order brought personally by Elara, the Pei residence, afraid of getting involved with someone as "corrupt" as her, opened the gate right away without saying anything. Their attitude clearly said they didn't care and just wanted everything to be done quickly.
Not a single person from the Pei family came out to greet her. Only a trembling little servant ran to the carriage and nervously explained, "The masters of the Pei family are all sick and afraid of passing the illness to the princess, so they can't come out to receive her. The princess is free to act as she pleases."
Elara watched the trembling servant finish speaking, then run away again just as nervously. Once again, she deeply felt how disgraceful her reputation was in the eyes of others in Plumera Kingdom.
She smacked her lips. Instead of being angry, she almost found it funny.
Fine. At least, aside from the Qi family, the Pei family also stuck to their morals, boldly expressing their dislike and rejection of someone like her.
Not bad. In the future, the backbone of the court must include the Pei family.
Another half hour passed.
The cold and quiet gates of the Pei residence opened again.
Mathias and the same little servant walked out one after the other. Their faces looked even paler than when they went in.
Especially the little servant behind Mathias. His eyes were red, full of grievance, like they had just suffered something very unfair.
Mathias didn't show much emotion. He led the servant back to the carriage, bowed respectfully outside, and only lifted the curtain to go inside after getting permission.
After kneeling before Elara again, he pulled out a well-organized sheepskin scroll from his robe and presented it with both hands.
"Princess, this is a Pei family estate in the west of the city that has been abandoned for many years. Usually only a few servants are there to clean it, and hardly anyone knows about the place."
"I have already changed the deed, listing it under the name of a distant Pei relative, the Bai family. The princess may choose to keep or replace the servants. They all have tight lips and are loyal and trustworthy."
Elara took the scroll, looked at the location of the estate, and then checked the area it covered. A genuine smile finally appeared on her face.
As expected, he really was the promising secretary she had her eye on. Although things didn't go smoothly at first, once he got to work, he was very thorough and precise.
The estate was located just outside the west of the capital, not too far and not too close. It sat at the midpoint between the capital and another city to the west. Since it was far from the main road and surrounded by mountains, the location wasn't eye-catching. There were many hidden paths around it, making it perfect for staying unnoticed and conducting business in secret, which matched her needs perfectly.
The estate also had a huge underground storage room, originally used by the Pei family to store goods. After the family declined, it had been left empty. It was well-ventilated and hidden, making it suitable for things that couldn't be seen in public.
After reading all the information about the estate, Elara couldn't help but pat Mathias on the shoulder in satisfaction.
As soon as she touched him, he trembled slightly and instinctively tried to back away. But after moving just a little, he seemed to realize something and forced himself to kneel still.
When her subordinates completed tasks perfectly, Elara was usually easy to get along with.
So she ignored his instinctive reaction and pulled him to sit beside her. When he tried to get up again, she pressed down on his shoulder and handed him a cup of hot tea.
"The estate is very good. I will keep my word. As long as you stay by my side and the Pei family doesn't come looking for trouble, I will never target you or your family."
Her voice was soft and clear beside his ear, without the usual sharpness. The pressure on his shoulder was light, almost comforting.
Mathias's tense shoulders relaxed slightly after hearing her words. The woman beside him looked noble and dignified. Her eyes were clear and gentle. Mathias suddenly realized that, even though he had been in the palace for two years, this was the first time he had really seen her face up close.
She wasn't cruel and fierce like he remembered. In fact, there was a stunning grace to her beauty. Her natural elegance and slightly sharp features gave her a bright, bold charm that made it hard to look directly at her.
Mathias lowered his eyes and forced down his natural response. He no longer tried to move away.
"Thank you, Princess."
Elara didn't expect him to change how he saw her right away. There was still time in the future. Slowly, she would make him accept her.
Besides, as her future secretary with the Pei family weighing on the other side of the scale, Elara didn't doubt for a second that Mathias would eventually become truly loyal to her.