Sophia stared at the yellow-headed eagle for a moment before sitting back in her chair and carefully rereading Ethan's letter. Gradually, a bright smile spread across her face. "Sir Ethan, you've certainly given me a delightful surprise!"
Hearing her murmur, Saberi, who was nearby, chuckled and asked, "What does Sir Ethan's letter say?"
Sophia handed the letter to Saberi and explained, "This Sir Ethan is truly remarkable. He hasn't been in his territory long and has already thwarted a destructive faction. They were remnants of the Pierre family, and I believe you might know this person."
"Who is it?" Saberi inquired.
"Bryson Pierre!"
At the mention of the name, Saberi froze, taking a moment to process the information. "How can it be him? I thought he was long dead!"
Sophia shrugged and nonchalantly replied, "Who knows? The fact is, he's alive and has grown stronger, capable of casting explosive spells and wielding a complete set of enchanted armor. I assume you know what that means, so I won't elaborate."
"Enchanted armor?" Saberi's face turned pale. "That's impossible. After the Mage Knight rebellion, we retrieved all the enchanted armors. My father personally counted them; the numbers were exact."
"Alright," Sophia interrupted, waving a dismissive hand. "I'm not blaming you. It's plausible they kept a set for themselves."
She was still basking in the joy of Ethan's victory. No one knew how much she had invested in that territory or the pressure she had endured. Ethan's success was her greatest validation, signifying that future operations would be much smoother. She already had plans in mind for the next steps. However, she was curious about one thing: how did Ethan defeat Bryson, who was clad in enchanted armor? Sophia knew the armor's capabilities well—only someone of master-level strength could pose a threat to it. How could Ethan, who had awakened his powers only a month ago, possibly have master-level strength? This seemed impossible.
Suppressing her curiosity, Sophia turned to Saberi. "Ethan mentioned a business proposal in his letter. Could you show it to me?"
"Of course! That's one of the reasons I'm here." Saberi retrieved a proposal from his bag and handed it to Sophia with utmost respect. Outsiders might mistake their relationship for one between superiors and subordinates, rather than uncle and niece. Sophia, accustomed to this, took the proposal and read it thoroughly. Her initial smile faded as she read on, her expression growing serious. She even adjusted her posture and reread the document.
After a long while, Sophia closed the proposal and gently placed it on her desk. She looked at Saberi with a smile. "A coffee business? Fashion icon? Interesting! So, you two want me to join your venture?"
Saberi, unable to discern her interest, cautiously replied, "That was Sir Ethan's suggestion. He thought you might be interested. If not, I'll just partner with him."
"No!" Sophia said firmly. "I'm very interested. Specifically, in the fashion business mentioned later. Why not skip the coffee and dive straight into fashion? I want to see what this 'fashion' is all about."
"I can't help you there," Saberi said awkwardly. "Ethan is leading this. He believes that without a solid foundation, nothing can be achieved. Moreover, compared to fashion, the real profit lies in the coffee business. You might not need the money, but Ethan and I are constantly being complained about by neighbors for late-night disturbances due to our poverty!"
Sophia laughed. "Dear uncle, are you really that broke?"
"I haven't been to a brothel in over a year. Do you know what it's like for a sailor to be on land and unable to visit a brothel?" Saberi lamented.
Sophia couldn't fully understand a sailor's life, but she sensed her uncle's predicament. "You'll stay at the manor tonight. I'll arrange some women for you. Ten, is that enough?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Saberi's eyes lit up with joy. "My dear niece, you're so considerate. You have no idea how much I've been suffering. Tonight, I'll become a wild beast and indulge myself."
Seeing Saberi's excitement, Sophia couldn't help but smile wryly. "Dear uncle, you're staying for a reason. Don't go overboard."
"Oh!" Saberi's excitement dimmed. "So, you have tasks for me. No wonder you're so generous. What do you need me to do?"
Sophia rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache. "Dear uncle, you invited me to join the business, remember? We need to discuss the details. Honestly, I'm skeptical about the coffee plan. I'm willing to join, but the terms need adjustments."
"Let's discuss it now! Why wait until tonight?" Saberi didn't want to delay his fun. "You can set the terms; I'm fine with anything reasonable."
"I'm afraid not. It's a three-party venture, so Sir Ethan must be involved," Sophia said with a smile.
Saberi frowned. "That's time-consuming. Sir Ethan is miles away. Who knows when he'll return? You said you had urgent matters, but now you say we must wait for Sir Ethan. Isn't that contradictory?"
Sophia smiled mysteriously. "Why would it be contradictory? Just because someone's far away doesn't mean we can't discuss business."
Saberi's frown deepened, not understanding her meaning. Sophia continued, "Don't worry. Come to my study after dinner, and you'll understand."