The tension that hung over the rest of the Moonlight Palace did not seem to touch the private solar, where the clinking of heavy gold necklaces and the rustling of fine silks filled the air. Azure leaned back against the royal cushions, her sharp eyes scanning the luxury items laid out before her.

The middle-aged merchant bowed low, spreading a shimmering, deep-emerald gown across the velvet table. "Only the finest for the future of this pack, Lady Azure. This silk was imported from the eastern trade routes—woven with real silver thread that catches the light with every step."

Azure ran a manicured finger over the fabric, a slow smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. "It is decent. Tell me, how many bolts of this specific silk do you have left in your carriage?"

"I have three remaining, my lady," the merchant replied quickly, her smile widening at the prospect of a massive sale. "They were intended for the high noble houses in the capital, but—"

"I will take them all," Azure interrupted smoothly, not even looking up. She waved a careless hand toward the female servant standing beside her. "And the dress itself. Add it to the pile."

The servant staggered slightly under the weight of the growing stack of garments already approved by Azure.

The merchant’s eyes lit up with financial glee. She immediately reached into her wooden chest, pulling out a velvet tray lined with heavy, intricately carved gold cuffs and silver tiaras encrusted with dark gemstones. "An exceptional choice, my lady. And to complement such a wardrobe, I brought these. These pieces are forged using ancient regional techniques—bold, commanding, and impossible to ignore."

Azure’s gaze fixed on a thick gold collar necklace, its design mimicking sharp, overlapping feathers. She picked it up, feeling its heavy weight in her palms, and held it against her throat. "This matches my status perfectly. What is the price for the entire tray?"

The merchant paused, momentarily taken aback. "The... the entire tray, Lady Azure? There are twelve unique pieces here, each valued at—"

"I did not ask for the individual value," Azure said, her voice dropping into a cold, demanding tone that made the merchant flinch. "I asked for the price of the tray. I have no patience for selecting one or two items like a commoner."

"Of course, forgive me!" the merchant stammered, quickly calculating in her head. "For the entire collection of jewelry, along with the silks and the custom leather riding boots we discussed... it would be five thousand royal coins."

Azure chuckled softly, a light, mocking sound that echoed through the quiet solar. She turned to the palace servant. "Go to the royal treasury. Tell the master of coin that I require five thousand coins delivered to this room immediately. If he questions the expense, tell him it is by my absolute authority."

The servant bowed hastily, dropping the empty tray, and rushed out of the room.

Azure turned back to the merchant, her smile returning, though her eyes remained entirely cold. "You see, custom and cost mean very little to me. When I want the world to look at me, I ensure they have no choice but to see gold. Keep bringing your finest goods to this palace, merchant. As long as you bring things that outshine everyone else, you will leave here a very wealthy person."

The merchant’s eyes glowed with satisfaction as she smiled and nodded. "You are very generous, Lady Azure."

Azure chuckled softly in response.

Meanwhile, the servant hurried down the grand hallway. The moment she saw Odesse walking toward her, her shoulders instantly tensed up. Lowering her head, she accelerated her pace, attempting to bow and pass by quickly. "Greetings, your highness," she murmured, trying to slip past.

Odesse immediately noticed the sudden tension in the servant’s posture. She paused. "Hold on."

The servant stopped in her tracks, shutting her eyes tightly.

"Turn around," Odesse commanded softly.

The servant turned slowly, her face full of anxiety. Odesse studied her expression carefully. "Where are you headed in such a rush?"

The servant hesitated, her fists tightening at her sides. "Your highness... Lady Azure asked me to retrieve something."

Odesse folded her arms across her chest. "And what exactly did she ask you to get?"

Hesitating once more, the servant swallowed hard. "She... she asked me to get coins from the royal treasurer."

Odesse raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Why would she need coins from the treasury?"

"To pay a merchant, your highness."

A look of deep concern crossed Odesse’s face. "How many coins did she ask for?"

Cold sweat began prickling down the servant’s face. "Five... five thousand coins, your highness."

Odesse’s eyes widened. "Five thousand coins? What could she possibly be buying that requires five thousand coins from our treasury?"

The servant remained terrified and silent. Odesse pressed further, "Where is she right now?"

The servant raised her head slightly. "In the private solar, your highness."

Odesse straightened up. "You will not be retrieving those coins. I shall go speak to her myself."

The servant looked at Odesse with absolute surprise as the queen turned and walked purposefully toward the private solar. Left alone in the hallway, the servant covered her face with both palms, completely overwhelmed. "How did I get myself into this?" she whispered, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks. "I don’t want to deal with this... Lady Azure will surely cause me trouble."

Wiping the tears from her face, she stood frozen in indecision, wondering whether she should run away or follow the queen.

Back in the private solar, Azure stared at the closed door, her annoyance growing. "Where is that foolish girl?" she muttered. She glanced at the merchant, who was still waiting with a polite, expectant smile. Azure rolled her eyes and groaned aloud.

Suddenly, a firm knock sounded on the door.

"Finally, come in!" Azure called out.

The double doors swung open. Azure began to snap, "What took you so—"

The words died in her throat. Her expression froze as Odesse walked into the private solar, calmly closing the doors behind her.

Odesse walked forward into the room. The merchant immediately stood up and bowed respectfully. "Greetings, your highness."

Odesse acknowledged her with a nod, her eyes scanning the table piled high with silks and gold before landing on Azure.

Azure quickly recovered, a sharp smirk creeping back onto her face as she leaned back. "Oh, Odesse. Welcome. Aren’t these dresses beautiful?"

Odesse looked down at the lavish display, a cool smile playing on her lips. "They are eye-catching, I must say, Azure."

Azure nodded smoothly. "This merchant—"

"But they are certainly not worth paying five thousand coins for," Odesse cut her off cleanly. She looked directly at the merchant, her smile turning sharp. "Am I right?"

The merchant was left entirely speechless, lowering her head in panicked silence.

Azure crossed her legs, relaxing further against the couch cushions. "And how exactly is that a problem?"

Odesse matched her gaze. "You will not be getting the coins, Azure."

Azure stood up, her composure fracturing. "That is highly impossible, Odesse. A servant is already bringing them to me as we speak."

Right on cue, the palace doors opened, and the terrified female servant walked in. She kept her head down, completely bypassing Azure, and took her place directly behind Odesse.

Azure glared at the girl, her jaw tightening. "You foolish maggot."

Odesse completely ignored Azure’s outburst, turning her attention back to the merchant. "We will not be needing your services today, so please, kindly—"

"Excuse me," Azure interrupted sharply, stepping forward. "But what do you mean by that? I will be getting everything here that I want." She turned to the merchant. "Bring more of your best dresses. If this little maggot is too much of a coward to do her job, then I shall go to the treasury myself."

As Azure attempted to walk past her, Odesse spoke up, her voice entirely calm. "It seems I did not make myself clear, Azure."

Azure paused, looking back.

Odesse smiled. "You cannot go to the treasurer for the coins, because the treasurer takes orders directly from me before handing out a single piece of gold to anyone in this palace."

Azure’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief. "What! How is that possible?"

Odesse looked down at her with calm detachment. "So, Azure... you will not be receiving any amount of money today." She then turned her gaze to the corner of the room. "Pack your products and leave."

The merchant looked back and forth between the two powerful women, hesitating. Odesse shot the merchant a fierce, ice-cold stare, her voice dropping into a dangerous whisper. "I shall not repeat myself."

The merchant flinched violently, nodding frantically. "Yes, your highness! Yes, immediately!" She began throwing her silks and jewels into her trunks so quickly that half of the fine garments were folded crookedly.

Azure clenched her fists so hard her knuckles turned white. She walked closer to Odesse, leaving only a few inches of space between them. "All of this will come to an end, Odesse... the moment you hand Valex over to me."

Odesse calmly stepped back, reclaiming her space. She casually touched her white hair, her expression unbothered. "Personal space, Azure. And you do know that the only way this ends is if I hand Valex over to you... but I haven’t, now have I?"

Azure ground her teeth together, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "So you would rather let innocent people die?"

At the mention of those words, the merchant’s ears perked up. She stopped packing for a fraction of a second, completely focused on eavesdropping.

Odesse instantly caught the movement. She turned sharply toward the merchant. "How much longer shall it take for you to pack?"

The merchant flinched again, throwing the remaining jewelry and silks into her luggage so fast that everything became a disorganized mess. She scrambled to lift her heavy bags, bowing low. "I shall take my leave, your highness!"

As she hurried toward the exit, the merchant muttered under her breath, ’I just lost so much money... but what did Lady Azure mean when she said people are dying?’ A small, curious smirk crept onto the merchant’s face.

"Wait!" Odesse’s voice rang out, stopping the merchant dead in her tracks.

The merchant turned around slowly, trembling.

Odesse glared at her with absolute gravity. "Do not speak a single word to anyone outside these walls about what you just eavesdropped on. Is that clear?"

The merchant hesitated, looking at Azure and then back at the terrifying gaze of the queen. "Yes, your highness," she forced out.

Odesse nodded once and turned to the female servant behind her. "Lead her out."

The servant nodded quickly, rushing ahead to open the solar doors. The merchant scrambled out after her, and the heavy doors slammed shut behind them, leaving only Odesse and Azure alone. The overlapping pressure of their contrasting auras made the room feel instantly suffocating.

Odesse looked directly at Azure, her voice dropping into a cool, undisputed command. "From this moment on, you cannot spend higher than a thousand coins at a time, Azure. Is that clear?"

Azure stood frozen, confusion written all over her face, completely struck speechless by the queen’s bold enforcement of power.

Odesse didn’t wait for a response. With a victorious smirk playing on her lips, she turned, walked toward the exit, and stepped out of the private solar, closing the door firmly behind her.

Left entirely alone, Azure stood blankly in the center of the room. "What is this?" she whispered to herself, touching her forehead as her mind raced. "What is going on? Why is she acting this way?"

She looked down at the empty table where the beautiful emerald silks had just been displayed. Her hands clenched into tight, trembling fists. "I really wanted those clothes..."

Glaring at the door, her fury boiled over, her nails digging into her palms. "Who do you think you are, Odesse? Just wait until tonight... then you shall know exactly how serious I really am."