Charisma 100: My Academy Life As A Heartbreaking Commoner-Chapter 188: Dinner Politics

The letter arrived with breakfast.

Aegis cracked the seal, House Valemont’s crest, and scanned the contents.

Lady Starcaller,

You are cordially invited to a formal dinner at Valemont Manor this evening. A gathering of rising houses to discuss matters of mutual interest.

Formal attire required.

Duchess Valemont

[Ooh. Networking with the political intrigue professor herself.]

"Another event?" Evelyn appeared at her elbow, already reading over her shoulder. The woman had no concept of personal space when it came to correspondence. Though, given that Aegis was going to tell her all about this sort of thing anyway, she didn’t mind.

"Duchess Valemont’s hosting. Rising houses."

"Which means she’s scouting talent."

"Or consolidating influence before the Stone betrothal shakes everything up."

"Both, probably."

"Both, definitely." Aegis set the letter down. "I should be there."

"I’ll have the staff prepare your formal wear." Evelyn paused. "The blue dress or the black?"

"Mm.... Black. More serious. I’m not trying to seduce anyone tonight."

"A refreshing change of pace, to be sure."

Aegis’s head snapped up.

"Was that sass, Evelyn?"

"I would never, my lady."

She smiled as she left.

[She’s getting comfortable. Good. I like her.]

Aegis finished her breakfast and headed upstairs.

She found Serilla exactly where she’d left her, sprawled face-down across the bed, naked, with the sheets tangled around her legs. Her pink hair looked like a bird had nested in it, and she didn’t move when Aegis sat on the edge of the mattress.

"Hey."

A groan.

"There’s a dinner tonight. Duchess Valemont’s place. Want to come?"

A longer groan. Serilla’s head turned just enough to reveal one bleary blue eye.

"You fucked my soul out of my body last night," she mumbled into the pillow. "I’m not moving for at least twelve hours."

"Fair."

"Go do your politics thing." Serilla’s hand flopped vaguely in Aegis’s direction. "I’ll be here. Recovering. From you."

Aegis leaned down and kissed her cheek.

"Rest up."

Another groan, this one slightly more affectionate.

[I really did a number on her, huh. Can’t be helped, with an ass like that.]

She left Serilla to sleep.

---

Valemont Manor was exactly what Aegis expected from the Duchess.

Understated elegance. Dark wood paneling. Portraits of ancestors who all had the same calculating eyes.

The dining room seated twenty, but only twelve places were set tonight. Aegis wore the black dress she’d told Evelyn about. Fitted bodice, modest neckline, silver embroidery. Professional.

Lethal.

And on her finger, the Valdria Sigil Ring.

[Let’s see how effective you are tonight.]

A servant guided her to her seat. She found herself between a heavyset man with nervous eyes and a sharp-featured woman already on her second glass of wine.

Lord Harbell. Lady Corina.

[Gambling debts and secret mercenary funding. Perfect neighbors.]

"Lady Starcaller." Harbell nodded as she sat. "I’ve heard your name quite a bit lately."

"All good things, I hope."

"Mostly impressive things." He dabbed at his forehead with a handkerchief. "The Summer Auction was... quite the spectacle."

"I do try."

Lady Corina leaned in from the other side.

"Harbell’s being modest. Everyone’s talking about you." Her voice was smooth. Controlled. "The commoner who won the Winter Trials, humiliated Duke Cindergrave, and somehow acquired a noble title in less than a year."

"I prefer to think of it as aggressive multitasking."

Corina laughed.

It didn’t reach her eyes.

[She’s sizing me up. Well, I’m sizing her up too, so yeah.]

The first course arrived. Fish in cream sauce. Aegis ate slowly. Half cause she wanted to let the conversation flow around her... Half because this shit tasted great. As someone who was still used to hospital food, she felt like she was going to pass out.

[FUCK! Is this what people mean when they talk about "foodgasms"? It’s. So. Good!]

Harbell talked about trade routes. Corina mentioned "family business ventures" without specifics. Aegis did her best to listen between bites. Cataloguing and waiting.

Her opening came between the second and third courses, when the food quality went down just a little.

"I couldn’t help but notice," she said, turning to Harbell, "that House Harbell’s been expanding lately. New warehouses, additional shipping contracts..."

Harbell’s smile tightened a little.

"We’re... exploring opportunities."

"Expensive opportunities." Aegis kept her voice light. "If you ever need help with certain financial difficulties, House Starcaller might be interested in a partnership."

The handkerchief came out again. He was sweating.

"That’s... very generous."

"I believe in supporting fellow rising houses." She turned to Corina. "Speaking of which, I’ve recently acquired some exceptional combat retainers. Former military. Very professional. If House Corina ever needs exclusive equipment contracts for any military ventures, I’d be happy to discuss terms."

Corina’s wine glass paused halfway to her lips.

"You’re remarkably well-informed."

"I make it my business to be."

A long look passed between them.

Corina smiled. A real one.

"We should talk after dinner."

"I’d like that."

[Two hooks in the water. Now we wait.]

The third course arrived. Aegis was feeling good.

Then Lady Vex opened her mouth.

She sat across the table with a pinched face. A woman in her forties with the kind of expression that let you know if you so much as inconvenienced her, she’d have you assassinated.

And, she’d been glaring at Aegis since the first course.

"Tell me, Lady Starcaller," she said, loud enough for the whole table to hear. "Did you grow up mucking stables? I’ve heard commoners often start in such humble positions."

The table went quiet.

Aegis set down her fork.

[Oh, you want to play? Let’s play.]

"Actually, I grew up on a farm." She smiled sweetly. "We mostly grew starwheat. Very profitable crop, starwheat. Good margins if you know what you’re doing."

Vex’s lip curled.

"How... quaint."

"Isn’t it?" Aegis picked up her wine glass. "Though these days I’m making way more from potions. Made about thirty thousand gold last week, actually. New distribution contracts, exclusive supplier agreements, that sort of thing."

She took a sip.

"How’s your house doing financially, Lady Vex?"

Dead silence.

Someone down the table snorted into their wine.

Lady Vex’s face went from pale to pink to a deep, furious red. Her mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.

Nothing came out.

[Yeah. That’s what I thought.]

The rest of the table suddenly found their plates very interesting. But Aegis caught the smirks. The barely-suppressed grins. Even Duchess Valemont, presiding at the head of the table, had a glint of amusement in her eyes.

"The fish is excellent tonight," Lady Corina said into the silence. "Don’t you think, Lord Harbell?"

"Exceptional," Harbell agreed, still wiping wine from his chin. "Truly exceptional."

Conversation resumed.

Lady Vex didn’t speak for the rest of the meal.

---

After dinner, the guests dispersed into smaller groups.

Lady Corina found her almost immediately.

"That was beautifully done," she murmured. "Vex has been insufferable for years. No one’s ever shut her down that cleanly."

"She made it easy."

"She did." Corina pressed a card into Aegis’s hand. "My family’s estate. Come by next week. I think we have a great deal to discuss."

"I look forward to it."

Corina drifted away.

Before Aegis could find another target, a hand touched her elbow.

Lord Harbell. He looked worse than before. Sweat beading on his forehead. Hands shaking.

"Lady Starcaller. A moment?"

"Of course."

He guided her to a quiet alcove, away from the other guests. His voice dropped to a whisper.

"About that help you mentioned. The financial difficulties." He couldn’t meet her eyes. "I may have understated my situation."

"How badly?"

A long pause.

"Two months from losing everything." His voice cracked. "There were some investments. Cards. I thought I could recover the losses, but..."

"But you couldn’t."

"No."

Aegis studied him.

In the game, Harbell was a footnote. A minor character you could help or ignore. But here, he was a man drowning, reaching for anything that might keep him afloat.

"How much do you need?"

He named a figure. Significant, but not impossible.

"In exchange for what?"

"Anything." The word came out desperate. "Whatever you want. Trade rights, exclusive contracts, political support—I’ll sign whatever you put in front of me."

[A desperate lord with trade connections, willing to do anything I ask. That’s useful.]

"I’ll have my steward contact you tomorrow," Aegis said. "We’ll work something out."

The relief on his face was almost painful.

"Thank you, Lady Starcaller. Thank you. I won’t forget this."

"I know you won’t."

She left him in the alcove and headed for the exit.

Two potential allies. One public humiliation. One desperate lord now firmly in her pocket.

[Three weeks until Talia’s betrothal. Political pillar: making progress.]

Her carriage pulled away from Valemont Manor.

Aegis smiled.

She was very glad she came.