Closing the window, Gria wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Though reluctant to admit it, he truly felt a pang of heartache.
"This is highway robbery!" Gria shook his head with a sigh.
Rick, seeing this, asked in confusion, "So how much is it exactly?"
"How much?" Gria opened his mouth, but lacked the courage to utter the number. "Let's just say it's a fortune."
"Aren't the Guild coffers deep? Why so stingy?"
"Fuck, do you think the Guild will approve such a sum? Guild funds aren't free money. Embezzling such a large amount is impossible. I'll have to dip into personal assets—maybe sell family heirlooms." Gria forced a laugh, shaking his head.
"Tch. Don't forget you promised me everything once this is done. You'll be broke anyway, so why hoard?" Rick scoffed, though inwardly cursing: Dammit, Shust, hitting me up for retirement funds.
Gria was speechless. He'd only joked, never expecting Rick's greed to take him literally.
"Fine, money is trivial. What's earned can be lost." Gria deflected, "Planning to confront the Thorntons directly?"
"Of course. They're the biggest threat. Take them out first."
"Are you sure? Thorntons aren't easy targets. What if someone tries to assassinate Manny while you're gone? Your presence puts me at ease, but those Guild bodyguards... unreliable."
"Shit, didn't think of that!"
Rick paced the office, then suddenly spotted Palais Saint-Rosel's gilded spires through the window.
"If the Pai Mansion isn't safe, find Manny a secure hideout..."
Through the misty rain, Palais Saint-Rosel loomed ancient and mysterious. Before its grand gates, statue-like guards stood rigid in the downpour, exuding the oppressive might of royal authority.
Inside the insect-drawn carriage, Manny eyed the palace—legended as the grandest structure in the Forest Domain—and turned to Rick anxiously. "Is this necessary? Will His Majesty be upset?"
"The old codger's always grumpy. Expect some grouching."
Manny fretted, "Then maybe we should—"
"Who cares? I've got his weak point. Even if he refuses, it's fine. Don't worry—leave it to me." Rick declared confidently.
"Alright." Manny nodded obediently. Of course she knew Rick's methods, but she hated relying on another girl's protection—especially one rumored to be Rick's fiancée.
Soon, a messenger dashed through the rain, bowing beside Rick's insect-drawn carriage. "His Majesty grants audience, but only attendants except the lady's maids may enter."
"Not me?" Rick asked.
The guard, aware of Rick's connection to Princess Anna, quickly waved, "Of course you may enter, sir."
"Let's go."
Rick unceremoniously dismissed the armed guards, escorting Manny and her two maids inside.
Through a long corridor, they arrived at the palace's royal garden, told that His Majesty was occupied and they should wait in a pavilion, enjoying flowers and snacks.
The garden bloomed with vibrant flowers and fresh green leaves glistening in the rain—truly a fairyland. Yet Rick, sipping black tea, felt distracted. They'd been waiting nearly two hours.
"What's the old man up to? Making us wait this long!" Rick grew impatient.
"His Majesty is busy—it's normal." Manny tugged Rick, pouring him another cup of tea.
"The old codger is doing this on purpose... uh!"
Mid-gripe, Rick sensed a whistle behind his head, spinning into action.
"Danger!"
He shoved Manny to the ground, his insect-blade flashing to slice the incoming object in half. But after the initial strike, no follow-up attack came.
"What the hell is this?"
Rick picked up the broken hidden weapon, his face flushing. "This... is a high-heeled shoe?"
"Hahaha! You're hilarious."
A hearty laugh rang out. Rick looked up to see Anna with flaming red hair peeking from the flowers, pointing and laughing wildly.
"Anna! You..." Rick seethed, but Manny's groan beside him deflated his anger. He frantically helped her up.
Earlier, when Rick shoved Manny down, she'd knocked her head on the stone bench. Now a large bump protruded from her scalp.
Rick felt mortified—injuring his client as a bodyguard. His glare at Anna turned murderous, but the oblivious girl clutched her stomach, laughing uncontrollably.
"Princess, what are you doing here? Back to your lessons."
A nightmare voice sounded behind Anna. A sharp-featured middle-aged woman appeared silently, grabbing Anna's collar like a kitten and lifting her effortlessly.
Anna's laughter vanished. She pleaded with Rick, but he, still sore from her prank, watched with interest as the stern woman—evidently someone who could rein in even Lord Arthur's spoiled daughter.
Lady Catrine—a name unfamiliar to Rick, but infamous in Palais Saint-Rosel. Words like "stubborn" and "rigid" defined her; she was more feared than the king himself. She'd single-handedly established the palace's 繁琐规矩 (onerous rules) based on ancient Tanzan Empire etiquette, tasked with training maids and guards. Now she faced a daunting challenge: transforming Anna into a true princess overnight.
"Princess, forgive my rudeness, but your behavior disappoints. A lady should..."
As Lady Catrine launched into a terrifyingly lengthy lecture, Rick gaped, and even Manny forgot her throbbing head.
"Lady Manny, His Majesty awaits." A guard interrupted.
"Ah, the old man's free?" Rick snapped back, guiltily eyeing Manny's bump. "Sorry, are you okay?"
"It's impolite, but I think His Majesty won't mind." Manny tucked her bangs to hide the bump, smiling brightly. "Perfect. Let's go."
"What a kind girl..." Rick thought, glancing at Anna, who half-heartedly endured Lady Catrine's scolding, sneaking a fist shake at him for not intervening.
"Both beautiful, but so different," Rick muttered, mindlessly pushing the wheelchair toward Lord Arthur's study.
In the study, Lord Arthur had awaited them. Seeing Rick and Manny enter, he smiled faintly. "Well, what brings you here?"
"I need to be away for a few days. I want Manny to stay in the palace during that time. That's okay, right?" Rick didn't beat around the bush with the old man.
"This brat really treats this place like his backyard, but... I like it..." Lord Arthur chuckled inwardly, maintaining a stern face. "Lad, your request oversteps boundaries. Perhaps you haven't grasped the relationship between the Merchant Guild and city lords."
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, we—" Manny panicked, trying to rise, but Rick firmly pushed her back into the wheelchair.
"What's overstepping about a few days' stay?" Rick frowned.
"Lad, just because others call me Lord Arthur doesn't make me an emperor. My authority only extends to Ison City, not even the entire Three Cities of the Forest Domain. Do you know how many cities exist? Over a hundred, and I'm just one..."
Rick cut him off, confused. "Stop beating around the bush!"
Unused to such disrespect, Lord Arthur paused, annoyed. "I'm not a monarch, just a city lord. My duty is to protect Ison City, not invite trouble."
"Pfft, all that talk—you're just afraid!"
Rick's bluntness left Lord Arthur red-faced, flaring his nostrils and glaring. "You brat know nothing!"
"Why not? At least I know to protect the weak!"
"Weak? Ridiculous! Compared to us city lords, the Merchant Guild is the true uncrowned king, controlling the world's economic lifeline. Do you think its heir is weak? Hahaha..." Arthur laughed as if hearing the funniest joke.
"I don't know about uncrowned kings, but Manny is a harmless girl. Is persecuting her justified?" Rick challenged, eyeing Arthur as if he were among the persecutors.
"Harmless?" Arthur smiled at Rick's naivety. "On the surface, maybe. But her status is significant. The current Guild Master—her father—a powerful figure controls the Guild. Though he's ailing, countless loyalists remain. Thus, Manny, as his daughter, is a huge future threat in the eyes of Hundred Cities mayors. You want me to take her side? That's declaring war on the world!"
Arthur glanced at Manny, seeing maturity and wisdom beyond her years in her beautiful eyes. A strange thought struck him: "If this girl can truly lead the Guild, maybe chaos can be averted. But... is it possible?"
As Arthur pondered, Rick was shocked by his words. He never expected a few days' stay to relate to world war. Was Manny's influence really that great?
Lost in thought, Rick met Manny's gaze, their eyes meeting mid-air.
Manny gave Rick a grateful smile. She had never expected Rick to speak to Lord Arthur in such a tone on her behalf, bringing a ray of light to her long-darkened heart.
"Thank you, Rick."
"I..." Rick looked at Manny awkwardly, suddenly feeling incompetent. He'd boasted before coming, but now felt hollow.
"His Majesty is right. I am indeed the greatest factor risking unrest," Manny smiled ruefully.
"Why?" Rick shouted, confused. "If what Lord Arthur says is true, the Merchant Guild is the world's enemy. So city lords wanting to kill you makes sense, but why does Diego, the Vice-Guild Master, also want you dead?"
"Idiot. He wants to take over, so he must eliminate Manny first," Arthur snapped.
"Then why hasn't anyone tried to assassinate him?"
Rick's sudden question left Arthur and Manny stunned.
After a pause, Arthur hesitated, "He's Vice-Guild Master. Killing him causes less disruption."
"But if Manny is killed, he becomes Guild Master. Compared to kind Manny, Diego is the bigger threat to city lords," Rick reasoned, his scattered thoughts forming a clear line.
"This..."
To be honest, Arthur had never considered this. He fumbled, "I hear he made deals with some city lords to secretly open trade routes. That's why some support him."
"If he can open routes, why can't Manny?" Rick turned to Manny. "What do you think?"
"Opening trade routes? That... contradicts the Guild's purpose. Father would never agree..."
"He's dying. Once he's gone, you'll be in charge. Besides, is money more important than your life?" Rick blurted, though his point was clear, sparking inspiration in Arthur and Manny.
"Right! Diego is a bigger threat than Manny. If we rally city lords with this, I might gain their support, and Ison City won't face so much pressure," Arthur's mind raced, while Manny weighed the Guild's gains and losses.
No one spoke for a while. Seeing them deep in thought, Rick stood silently, daring not to interrupt.
Just then, the study door burst open. Anna, lifting her huge skirt, stumbled in and grabbed Arthur's beard. "Old codger! Who told you to make things hard for Rick?"
"Making things hard? I wasn't making things hard. Ouch! That hurts!" Arthur winced, his old face scrunching up in pain.
"Don't lie! I heard everything outside. All she wants is to stay for a few days. What's the big deal? I'm going crazy with that rigid old hag. Let Manny keep me company and give me a break!" Anna tugged harder on Arthur's beard.
"Fine, fine! Of course she can stay!"
Arthur agreed readily, not because he cared about his beard, but because Anna's outburst had sparked a realization. The Hundred Cities Treaty was due for renegotiation. If Manny agreed to relinquish some rights, it might defuse the brewing unrest and prevent another Hundred Cities War.
"You agree?" Anna asked, surprised, not expecting Arthur to concede so quickly.
"Agreeing is fine, but I need a promise from Manny," Arthur said, turning to her.
Manny looked up at him. "I promise in my personal capacity and will try to persuade Father."
"Then... Anna will be delighted to show you around Palais Saint-Rosel for three days. As for you, lad," Arthur shot Rick a glare, "go do what you need. Just remember to pick her up in three days."
Rick was just glad Arthur had agreed. Three days should be enough to handle his business. Thinking deeper, he realized this plan could kill two birds with one stone: eliminate the Thorntons and maybe prompt some city lords to assassinate Diego, solving multiple problems at once.
Caught up in his excitement, he ignored Arthur's unfriendly stare and patted Manny's shoulder. "I'll be off, then. I'll pick you up in three days."
"Wait!" Arthur suddenly grabbed Rick, whispering in his ear, "Don't think I haven't noticed you flirting with Manny. If you ever break Anna's heart, I'll make you pay."
"Wh-what?" Rick's good mood vanished instantly.
"Are you picking on him again?" Anna shouted from behind.
"No, no. Of course not, right, lad?" Arthur forced a smile, slinging an arm around Rick's shoulder.
"Ah, right... heh heh..."
Rick forced a grin, but his heart sank into bitter disappointment.