The silence following Mrs. Gable’s departure was the most expensive luxury Evelina had enjoyed since her rebirth.

She sat in the high-backed velvet chair, the heavy ledgers pushed to one side, and let out a breath she felt she’d been holding for two lifetimes.

Outside, the Alvarez estate was in an uproar. She could hear the frantic clatter of Gable’s trunks being hauled down the back stairs and the hushed, terrified whispers of the maids in the hall. For the first time, the house was reacting to her will.

"Now then," Evelina whispered, her eyes narrowing, "Let’s see what the gold is actually worth."

With a flick of her wrist, she summoned the blue holographic interface. The light bathed her face in a cool, otherworldly glow.

[Current Balance: 1200 Gold]

[Welcome to the System Shop, Host. Would you like to browse our ’Recommended for Brides’ section?]

Evelina’s lip curled in distaste as the screen populated with shimmering icons.

[Fair-Skin Elixir: 50 Gold]

[Peach-Blossom Scent Aura: 100 Gold]

[Damsel’s Fragile Grace (Passive Skill): 200 Gold].

The System was trying to sell her the same tools she had used naturally and failed with, in her past life. It probably wanted her to be a more beautiful victim or a more alluring beggar.

It thought she wanted to win Ace’s heart through the traditional means of a romance novel heroines they wrote about these days. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"Ignore the [Beauty] tab," Evelina commanded, "Show me [Utility and Strategy]."

The screen flickered, the soft pinks and whites vanishing, replaced by cold iron-grey and deep parchment-yellow.

These were the tools of a sovereign, not a socialite. She scrolled past [Enhanced Fertile Soil: 2,000 Gold], too expensive and [Basic Spy Network: 1500 Gold].

Finally, she saw it.

Under the [Intelligence & Lore] tab, an unassuming icon of a cloud and a sun pulsed with a dim light.

[Regional Weather Forecast: 6-Month Outlook]

[Cost: 400 Gold]

[Description: Provides 100% accurate meteorological data for the current territory. Knowledge is power, but preparation is survival.]

It was a staggering amount of money for a mere weather report, but Evelina didn’t hesitate.

In her first life, the Alvarez lands had suffered. She remembered the stories of scorched earth and starving peasants that had reached her even in her isolation. She had thought it was just the cruel fate of the North. Now, she suspected it was an opportunity.

"Purchase," she said.

[400 Gold deducted. Remaining Balance: 800 Gold]

[Generating Report... Please stand by.]

The blue screen suddenly bled into a pulsative blood-red. The air in the study grew heavy, and a low hum vibrated through the floorboards.

Maps of the Northern Provinces began to overlay on her desk, shimmering in the air.

[WARNING: CRITICAL ANOMALY DETECTED]

[Forecast Summary: A 100-Year Drought]

Evelina watched, completely frozen, as the blue veins of the rivers on the holographic map began to shrink and turn brown. The lush green forests of the Alvarez duchy withered into dry, brittle husks.

[Arrival of First Heatwave: 14 Days]

[Projected Rainfall: 0.0mm for 180 Days]

[Impact: 95% Crop Failure. 80% Livestock Depletion.]

Evelina’s heart hammered against her ribs. This was a death sentence.

By mid-summer, the very ground they stood on would crack like parched skin, at this rate.

The Duke’s granaries, usually full of surplus to feed the army, would be empty by the first frost.

In her first life, Ace had spent his personal fortune buying grain from the Southern merchants at ten times the market price, nearly bankrupting the Duchy to keep his people alive.

He had been hailed as a ’Saviour of the Poor,’ while she had sat in the manor, wondering why they were eating gruel and why her husband looked so haggard.

Now, she had the timeline. She had the exact date the first well would go dry.

Evelina stood up and walked to the window. Below, in the courtyard, a group of noble ladies, the wives of the local vassals, were stepping out of their carriages.

They were draped in delicate lace and carrying silk parasols, laughing about the upcoming Summer Ball in the capital. They were debating which seamstresses had the best silk and whether the King would attend.

They were planning for a season of dancing.

Evelina looked up at the sky. It was a perfect blue. A gentle breeze stirred the trees, carrying the scent of blooming jasmine. It looked like the beginning of a paradise, the kind of weather that made people feel safe and complacent.

Evelina touched the cold glass of the windowpane, a grim smile carving itself onto her face.

She wasn’t the ’Pauper Duchess’ anymore. She was the only person in the world who knew that gold was about to become worthless, and a handful of wheat would be worth its weight in diamonds.

"The Duke is a hero of war," she whispered, her breath fogging the glass, "He can slay a thousand enemies with a single swing of his sword. He can defend a border against an empire. But even heroes have to eat."

She thought of Ace’s arrogant face as he told her not to pester him with letters. She thought of his so-called standing orders to restrict her funds.

"Enjoy your campaign, Ace," she said, her voice dropping into a dangerous hum, "Let’s see what the Iron Duke of the North will trade for a loaf of bread in July."

[Notification: Strategy ’Grain Monopoly’ Initialized]

[New Objective: Acquire 10,000 Bushels of Wheat before Day 14.]

Evelina’s eyes narrowed as she turned away from the window, her silk dressing gown swishing like a serpent’s tail. The Summer Ball was the last thing on her mind right now.