34: First Appearance at the Council

Four days later...

Duke Richard summoned Irene to his office. She sat before him quietly, and he said:

— "The King has approved your attendance at the High Council tomorrow. Be prepared."

Irene smiled lightly and replied in a steady voice:

— "Thank you, Your Grace… I promise to be as helpful as I can."

Richard nodded briefly, as was his habit, without saying more.

---

The next morning,

Irene prepared for her first official meeting at the kingdom's council.

She wore an elegant, modest dress in royal colors and styled her hair in a simple yet refined way—befitting her position as the wife of the army's supreme commander, and now a princess in the Kingdom of Valerian.

She accompanied King Richard to the grand hall designated for the High Council. The room was vast, with a massive round table at its center, surrounded by heavily-designed chairs, each engraved with the royal emblem.

The High Council is usually attended by the kingdom's most important figures—ten prominent members who aren't always required to be present, but typically attend, as the council is a duty not to be taken lightly.

When Irene entered the hall, all members were already present, whispering quietly among themselves, then stood in respect when Richard entered.

But what no one expected… was that someone else entered with him.

A young woman, in her early twenties, walking with steady steps. Her face calm, yet confident.

King Richard stood before them and spoke in a formal tone:

— "Thank you all for being here.

Today, I'd like to introduce my son's wife, Princess Irene.

She received her education in economics and politics from the best tutors in the Kingdom of Eiscard,

and has occasionally assisted me with sensitive matters.

She is intelligent and diligent, and insisted on attending this council.

I approved, knowing she would be of benefit."

Silence followed for a moment, and the members exchanged glances.

No one objected openly—after all, the final word was the king's—but their faces revealed unease.

Richard sat down, and Irene took the seat beside him.

As she looked ahead, she felt a distant gaze pierce through her.

She lifted her eyes slightly… and saw him.

The Crown Prince, Bastian.

He sat across from her, one hand resting on the table, the other lightly touching his mouth as he quietly studied her.

When their eyes met, he smiled.

But she didn't care.

She looked back ahead, sitting firmly, as if nothing happened.

Bastian raised an eyebrow and kept silently watching her.

Then a voice broke the stillness. A man in his fifties asked curiously:

— "Is this your first time attending a council of this level, Lady Irene?"

She looked at him calmly. She recognized him instantly—one of the senior advisors.

— "Actually, I used to attend the High Council in Eiscard, thanks to my father's permission."

The man looked at her with feigned surprise and said:

— "Really? I've never heard of a woman attending Eiscard's council."

Irene faltered slightly inside, but her expression remained unchanged. She replied calmly:

— "That's because I requested my presence remain secret from His Majesty.

I never liked drawing attention."

The man laughed admiringly and said:

— "I like how you speak… you seem very confident."

Richard said:

— "Yes, she is. That's exactly why I allowed her to attend today."

Another member spoke up:

— "So, Your Grace, will she attend on behalf of your son? I mean… since he rarely joins us here."

Richard replied quietly:

— "That's true. Lucas is often busy during the day, and that's why he rarely attends.

But Irene will be here to represent herself only… not on behalf of anyone."

Someone else said with veiled sarcasm:

— "You seem quite confident in your son's wife, Your Grace, even though the marriage was very recent."

At that, Irene spoke clearly, her tone calm but firm:

— "I'm attending today as a member of Valerian's royal family.

My name now is Irene Eiscard de Valerian.

And I hope Your Honors understand that well.

True, I am still learning, and I have a long way to go,

but that does not prevent me from being among you.

I studied history and politics with professional instructors since I was young, and I have full confidence in my abilities.

Thank you."

Everyone fell silent.

Her words were decisive, forming a wall of ice against every attempt to belittle her.

Then King Christophe laughed, drawing everyone's attention.

He looked at Irene and said:

— "Allowing you to attend was a brilliant idea.

My brother insisted on your presence quite unusually, and I was surprised to hear you had interest in matters women usually don't concern themselves with.

He told me you were intelligent… and I wanted to see that for myself.

So… this council will serve as your test."

Irene smiled and answered with calm confidence:

— "I won't disappoint you, Your Majesty… I promise."

The king laughed again and said:

— "Very well. Let's begin, now that everyone is here."

Then the official meeting began. Irene sat, observing everyone with sharp eyes.

She memorized faces, noted expressions, and quickly identified everyone in the room.

She made use of every single moment…

Because this was no ordinary council.

It was the true beginning of the next phase of her plan.

---

Inside the High Council chamber…

The discussion was heated.

The Prime Minister spoke in a serious tone:

— "The problem of counterfeit currency is escalating by the day.

Cases of forgery have risen to unprecedented levels, to the point we can no longer control them—

not even arrest the distributors, since they all claim the bills came from unknown sources."

He paused, then continued with a heavier tone:

— "This poses a serious threat to Valerian's treasury,

and may harm everyone in this room… we must act immediately."

One of the members said firmly:

— "I told you before, we must redesign the currency completely—its shape, colors, and symbols."

Another member objected quickly:

— "That will cost the kingdom a great deal.

And this method isn't guaranteed… the new bills could be forged as well."

An older man offered a traditional idea:

— "In my opinion… we should return to the old ways.

Let's use silver and gold coins again, maybe even copper, as we did in the past."

King Christophe raised his hand, calmly refusing:

— "No.

That's impractical, for many reasons.

The modern economy can't move backward, and Valerian has signed treaties requiring paper currency.

If we revert, it will disrupt the market and weaken the value of trade."

Another man frowned and said:

— "What's strange is that this forgery is only happening in Valerian.

I haven't heard of any other kingdom suffering from it.

Should we seek their help?"

The King instantly rejected the idea:

— "That proposal is denied.

If news leaks outside the kingdom, our financial security will be threatened…

and it could be used against us politically or militarily.

Valerian must solve its crises independently."

A tense silence settled.

Irene remained silent the whole time, her hands clasped on her lap, eyes fixed on the economic map before her.

But inside… she was boiling.

She weighed the words, connected the dots, and analyzed quietly.

The Eiscard letter…

It had mentioned "economic information," nothing else.

And now… there was unprecedented financial chaos.

Irene was not naïve enough to believe it was coincidence.

It was clear someone was tampering with Valerian's economy.

And that hand… could very well be Eiscard's.

Was this an economic war?

Just the beginning… of something bigger?

An hour passed, filled with clashing opinions and discussions.

Irene was still deep in thought, her eyes fixed ahead.

But Richard… had been watching her.

He smiled faintly, then said clearly:

— "Irene?"

Everyone turned toward him.

She raised her head slowly and said:

— "Yes, Your Majesty?"

He asked:

— "Do you have a suggestion regarding this matter?"

A short silence passed, then Irene answered in a soft, confident voice:

— "Yes."

Richard smiled:

— "Good. Tell us, what is it?"

She replied, after gathering her thoughts:

— "I'm thinking of something… but I want to be sure first.

So I kindly ask for some time to study it thoroughly."

King Christophe, intrigued, spoke:

— "You shall have it.

We'll expect a report from you in the next session."

He smiled.

Irene nodded quietly.

— "Thank you."

The king ended the meeting, and the members began to leave the hall.

---

On the way back…

Richard asked Irene in a calm tone:

— "May I know what it is you wanted to confirm?"

Irene looked at him and said:

— "Not yet.

I'd rather not speak too soon.

But you'll understand soon enough, Your Grace."

Richard nodded simply:

— "Take your time."

Irene smiled softly and said quietly:

— "Thank you…"

Then she fell silent, her mind still racing.

If Eiscard had started the war this way…

Then she must be ready to respond.

---

Irene didn't go to her room. She went straight to the library.

She sat among towering shelves, her eyes moving from line to line without noticing the time.

She had devoted herself entirely to studying one thing:

How paper is made.

Among yellowing pages and old books detailing the early stages of printing,

she read passionately about fiber blending and paper density control.

She had been thinking of creating a symbol embedded in currency that couldn't be replicated. She was thinking deeply.

Then her eyes landed on the Eiscard letter.

She looked at the red wax seal closing the paper.

It bore the royal family's crest—clear, elegant, unmistakable.

She thought:

— "What if we could embed this symbol in the paper…?"

Then shook her head:

— "No… that could be forged too, easily."

She continued reading tirelessly.

Hours and hours passed as she moved between books on history, chemistry, and printing—

like a researcher searching for anything that might support her idea.

---

She returned to her suite, as she did every night.

No one was there, as usual.

Lucas… had become more absent lately.

Sometimes he returned very late.

Sometimes, not at all.

And even when he did, Irene would fall asleep before him,

or he'd wake up before her…

and they exchanged no more than glances.

Yet despite everything…

Irene felt joy.

A quiet, inner joy.

For the first time, she felt she held the strings of the game.

She opened a drawer… looked at the box of sleeping pills.

It was the last one. Only four pills remained.

She stared at it silently for a moment,

then whispered to herself:

— "No more doubling the dose… I'll preserve what's left until I can get more."

She took just one pill.

And lay on her bed quietly.

---

Later that night…

Lucas entered.

As usual, he bathed in silence, then came out…

and gave her a long look.

She was lying on her side, her features calm… but tonight,

something felt different.

As he lay in bed and closed his eyes,

a faint sound reached his ears…

A moan.

He opened his eyes slowly, then sat up.

The sound came from Irene's side.

He turned his head toward her and reached to switch on the bedside lamp.

He saw her…

Her face was tense, her forehead damp with sweat,

her breathing uneven, and her eyes shut… as if she were in pain in her sleep.

He leaned in slowly, hesitantly.

He almost reached to touch her shoulder to understand what was happening… but before he could,

she suddenly turned to the other side—unconsciously.

Silence.

He stared at her for a moment… then turned off the light,

and lay down quietly.

He said nothing.

But for the first time in a long while… he didn't fall asleep right away.

---