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Inés stubbornly called Alfonso over and made him put in an order for Miguel.

The rifles were not officially on the market just yet, which meant they were even more expensive than their original price. However, nobody doubted that they were worth the lofty cost after several consecutive demonstrations to display their impressive range. When the rifle was fired toward the hall, all of the guests gaped in shock and disbelief, only to whip their heads around as several more bullets whizzed overhead. Awe blossomed on their faces when they spotted the targets that were hanging high in the air at the far end of the hall. The lords, no longer worried about how much money their wives would be spending in the adjacent hall, began to whisper about how many seconds it had taken for the rifle to fire the consecutive shots. Even Miguel was staring at the targets, his mouth a little agape.

Inés watched him with a soft smile, then turned her gaze back to the front of the hall to see that the emperor was running a hand over his pale face. She began to chuckle, slightly leaning her forehead against Miguel's shoulder.

He whipped his head to her in surprise. "What is it? What are you laughing at?"

"His Majesty..." she whispered through stifled laughter.

His gaze drifted over to the emperor. "Ah..."

It was no surprise that the emperor appeared so shocked. After all, he had a paranoiac tendency to suspect an assassination attempt and treason whenever anyone displayed a firearm outside of the hunting grounds-something Inés had known for quite some time. His heart had probably dropped when the bullets whistled overhead. He was a distrustful, cowardly man. Though he never abstained from roaming around the hunting grounds in an attempt to appear strong, he had never managed to overcome the disturbing memories of being nearly assassinated decades ago. Though he had only been put at the end of an unloaded gun, his unresolved fear maintained a vice-like grip on him to this day.

A small chuckle escaped Miguel's lips as he looked down at Inés, who was still smiling in delight. "His Majesty seems surprised," he said nonchalantly.

It was obvious that 'surprised' was an understatement. Perhaps he wished to be considerate of the slight shame that the emperor might be feeling, though the crowd was so distracted that they wouldn't have noticed even if the emperor had jumped like a rabbit.

"Oh, I think everybody here was surprised," she responded slyly. "But there is only one person who may soon faint from the shock."

His eyes narrowed a fraction. "Now that I think about it... you were quite calm when the demonstration took place."

She shrugged, not making an attempt to deny it. "Imagine how strange it would have seemed if I had been surprised. Don't worry. I made sure to tell your father in advance, out of consideration for his heart."

"Inés, don't tell me..." he trailed off suspiciously.

"You believe I did it on purpose?"

"A reasonable guess, I would say."

"And your guess would be correct. A modicum of fun and mockery can't hurt anyone, wouldn't you agree?"

She glanced over to see the orders already piling up. The arms manufacturer seemed to be raking in a mountain of profit from the eye-catching demonstration, and the emperor held almost a quarter of the shares. In her opinion, the emperor couldn't blame her for the slight embarrassment he had suffered-at the end of the day, it was only a part of her diligent efforts to appease him.

The emperor was now clutching the arm of his faithful servant, Duke Ijar, his lips trembling. Inés scoffed inwardly at his hypocrisy. Though he wished to sell as many weapons as possible to the aristocrats, he bristled in anger at the mere thought of those very nobles' private soldiers holding the rifles.

She knew that he would dwell on the pile of orders every single night even after praising Inés with a smile, making sure to memorize all the noble houses that had ordered more rifles than the others. Then his little mind would be flooded by an endless torrent of paranoia. He would wonder if any of them would dare to plan treason, if territorial power struggles might escalate into military conflicts, or whether the victorious House would announce secession from the empire. He would forever suspect the possibility of this victorious House trying to incite other aristocrats.

Inés knew exactly why Oscar and the emperor feared and hated each other with such paranoia-it was because Oscar had inherited the exact same delusional and suspicious nature of his father.

"That sounds a bit cruel," Miguel commented.

"It will pad the imperial coffers after all."

"Yes, but... His Majesty appears quite shaken."

Lately, the emperor had been intoxicated on the news of the naval force's victories as if they were his own, gorging himself on food, drinks, and his mistresses. Even then, he had a hold on his senses for about half of the day, and Inés took advantage of those moments to toss him small tasks like she was feeding scraps to a dog. The current banquet was just another example of this. He snatched up every single bait she threw his way, oblivious to his belly expanding dangerously, and she earned his favor in the process. At the same time, she was discreetly feeding him bits and pieces of information that would fuel his paranoia and obsession. Not only did she want his frivolous trust, but she also wished to distract him as much as she could. She needed his attention to be so scattered by his pleasures and suspicions that he would never turn his eye to her.

She watched on with a mirthful smile as Duke Ijar anxiously hovered around the emperor, who was discreetly dry-heaving into his champagne glass. While it wasn't useful in any way, the sight still brought her joy.

A few moments later, the receipt for the rifles was finally delivered to Miguel. He took it with great care, perhaps because he had witnessed the demonstration.

"Thank you, Inés," he said.

"Make sure to remember me when you become a distinguished officer," she responded. When she realized the emperor had regained his composure and was looking for Duke Escalante with ire in his face, she pushed Miguel forward.

"What am I supposed to do?" he asked frantically.

"Tell His Majesty that I planned everything, and talk about how impressive it all was," she replied, giving him another push.

She didn't have much faith in Miguel's ability to cajole anyone, but he seemed to be capable of following directions, at the very least. The hall was filled with men who were vibrating with excitement after the demonstration, and she knew they would immediately start praising the rifles upon hearing Miguel's comment before the emperor could say a word.

At that moment, Oscar approached Cayetana with some clarity in his eyes before escorting her out of the hall. Satisfied, Inés immediately spun around-she would go and find Isabella before the emperor's attention turned to her. Some men tried to make eye contact with her as she strode through the hall, but she ignored every single one.

Yet, there were always those clueless men who stepped in her way despite her obvious aloofness-some of them were not clueless at all but did so regardless, such as the man who stood in front of her now.

Inés lowered her eyes slightly with a smile. "Lord Dante."

As she tried to brush past him, he gently grabbed her by the arm. "Lady Inés."

Her smile turned colder as she raised her eyebrows in a silent question.

Dante immediately removed his hand, as though he recognized the insolence of his action. "My apologies. I grew hasty, having waited so long for this fortunate coincidence."

"While our meeting was a true coincidence, I wouldn't use that word to describe you snatching my arm as if you had been waiting in my path."

He had disguised their encounter so cleverly that nobody would suspect it had been carefully arranged. After all, he hadn't chased after her or watched her intently throughout the entire banquet. Even then, it was obvious to her that he had been waiting.

"I'm well-aware of what you may suspect, since you are a lady of such beauty," he responded smoothly.

"However, I must plead that I have no ulterior motives. If I may have a moment of your time..."

"I suspected nothing. As you must know, both my father and my father-in-law are here. Now, please allow me to be on my way."

Dante didn't budge. "When I advised you to be cautious, I thought you might find it beneficial."

She regarded him with an unreadable look in her eyes. Suddenly, her lips curved into a bright smile, and she gracefully extended her hand in a silent invitation for an escort. "Of course. I am greatly indebted to you, my lord."

Dante guided her across the hall, her hand resting on his forearm. "I detect a hint of mockery in your voice, my lady. It was never my intention to vex you."

"Will you offer me something that is worthy of my recognition this time, then?"

A light chuckle escaped Dante's lips. "You truly do not mince your words."

The smile lingered on her face as she took a glass of apple juice from a servant who was passing by with a laden tray. She said, her tone impassive, "I have yet to know whether your warning was impulsive, or perhaps it was part of your carefully planned betrayal..."

"It had been an impulsive betrayal. But now, it is anything but impulsive."

She hummed under her breath. "Will you make it worth my time?"

"Yes, my lady. I'm sure of it."

"What do you gain from your treachery?"

"I suppose that depends on how much you are willing to give me," he responded smoothly.

"Is that so? No matter how much money I put in your hands, there will be no going back."

"I have no complaints. I don't intend to go back." He paused for a moment before continuing, "I simply wish to offer my assistance to someone who might find morsels of information I have useful."

"I don't enjoy being led around the bush." Inés lowered the glass from her lips, staring straight ahead.

For a long moment, Dante was silent as he led her through the hall. His usual demeanor of easy nonchalance was nowhere to be seen. It was as though his words were stuck in his throat.

A feeling of unease began to creep up on her, more irritating than anything else.

Finally, he said, "Do you trust your lady-in-waiting?"

Tiny lines feathered out from the corners of her eyes. "What are you..."

"The lady-in-waiting at the Escalante manor...she grew up with you since you were in Perez, correct? I recall hearing that she was impossible to buy over."

"Who-" she began, but he continued like he hadn't heard her.

"What of the maids who tend to you every day? The servants who serve your food? The kitchen maids and the cooks, perhaps?"

"Lord Dante."

"What of the female physician who has been seeing you ever since you were a child?"

She inhaled sharply.

He paused again, as if searching for the right words to no avail, then continued, "In all fairness, she is not at fault. Apparently, she couldn't be bought, since she had been there for so long..."

"Get to the point. I won't say it again."

"You must investigate the physician's apothecary and the apothecary's assistant, then dig even deeper," Dante responded. "But even they remain unaware of the misfortune they've brought upon you... Among the numerous ingredients in the medicine prescribed to you by the physician, one of them had changed at some point. I do not know when it happened, but they should be able to give you an answer."