After sending Saberi off, Sophia sat back down in her chair and picked up Ethan's letter again, carefully rereading it. She found herself smiling at every word. Over the past year, she had faced constant setbacks in managing the territory, which had put immense pressure on her. The dissent within her family was growing louder, and she was under increasing scrutiny from Duke Hawk, causing her sleepless nights. Now, with this good news, she felt an overwhelming sense of relief and joy. Ethan had defended the territory, and as a leader, she needed to ensure everything was in order on the logistics front.
In this context, logistics didn't just mean supplies; she also had to eliminate any potential obstacles for Ethan. Since Ethan's letter emphasized that the attackers came from the north, it indicated internal problems within the Duke's ranks. If these internal threats weren't addressed, similar attacks would likely recur. Although Ethan only hinted at the northern origin of the attackers, Sophia understood that he wanted her to help root out these hidden dangers.
Sophia picked up her quill and began to write. "To the Esteemed Duke Hawk..." After finishing the letter, she made an identical copy, stamping each with different seals—one with the Lawson family crest and the other with her personal seal. As she sealed the letters, a small whirlwind whipped through the room, and a figure in a red robe appeared out of thin air.
Handing the letters to the robed figure, Sophia instructed, "Deliver one letter to the diplomat sent by the Duke to Marlow City, and tell him it's of utmost importance to get it to the Duke as quickly as possible. The other letter, send using our own methods but delay it by a day before sending it by pigeon."
The robed figure nodded and replied in a voice that was neither male nor female, "Yes, mistress. However, forgive my boldness, but if your suspicions about the diplomat are incorrect, wouldn't sending two identical letters be disrespectful to the Duke?"
"If there's a problem within their ranks, anyone could be involved," Sophia replied as she tidied her hair. "I believe the Duke will understand if he receives two letters. Besides, I trust my intuition. If I were behind the attack, I would ensure the diplomat was someone I controlled. Keep a spy on that diplomat and report everything he does in Marlow City—who he meets, what he says, everything."
"Yes, mistress!" The robed figure disappeared as swiftly as they had arrived.
Sophia rubbed her temples and called softly, "Anna!" Immediately, a maid entered the room. This maid, Anna, differed from the others. While the other maids wore traditional black-and-white uniforms, Anna wore a tight leather outfit with a maid's headband and carried multiple knives strapped to her thighs and waist. Her expression was serious, not the usual servile smile of a maid.
"Has my uncle's entertainment been arranged?" Sophia asked without looking up.
"Yes, mistress. As you ordered, ten women have been arranged," Anna replied.
"Good. Keep an eye on my uncle; make sure he doesn't overdo it. I've heard that men who haven't had sex for a long time can sometimes overexert themselves and die suddenly," Sophia said.
Anna suppressed a smile, thinking that her mistress still had a lot to learn about such matters. Men dying from sexual overexertion was rare. However, she replied respectfully, "Yes, mistress. But you needn't worry. According to our information, your uncle, despite his talk, is quite restrained."
Sophia looked at Anna skeptically. "Are you sure? He hasn't had any for over a year! I don't want anything to happen to him; he's still useful to us. I almost regret arranging so many women for him."
"Yes, mistress, I'm certain. In fact, he's known for his loyalty. It's often said that the more flamboyant a man is, the more faithful he tends to be. Unlike those who pretend to be virtuous, he has boundaries," Anna replied.
Sophia raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Anna's defense of Saberi. "I suppose I also taught you that without profit, there's no service. So, what did you get out of speaking so well of my uncle?"
Anna's face turned pale. "Mistress, I swear I've received no benefits from Saberi. He couldn't afford to bribe me even if he wanted to."
Sophia considered this and agreed. A noble who couldn't afford a brothel was unlikely to have the means to buy loyalty. Still, she was curious about what made Saberi so admirable to Anna. "Bring me my uncle's file. I realize I've neglected to pay attention to family matters."
Relieved, Anna bowed. "Yes, mistress," she said, and turned to leave.
"Wait!" Sophia called. "Also, bring me the Heart Mirror artifact from my room. And fetch Mr. Croze, the treasurer; I want him to join us for dinner."
"Yes, mistress!" Anna replied and quickly left.
Sophia rubbed her temples again and picked up Ethan's proposal, muttering to herself. "Fashion icon, huh? Sir Ethan, you really know how to play to my vanity. But don't get too pleased with yourself. I'm not that easy to manipulate."
With a sly smile, she began to make notes and amendments to the proposal.