Chapter 303: The Deceived Malverna

"Did you meet with him? How did it go?"

Outside the visiting room, Nolan glanced at Claire, who walked out with a cold expression.

She shook her head and replied calmly, "The result was as expected—he was surprised to see me and doesn’t think of me as his daughter."

As she spoke, she removed her blindfold, revealing blue eyes as clear as the sky. Her delicate white eyelashes fluttered as she glanced at Nolan beside her.

Nolan wasn’t surprised. This was exactly the outcome he and Claire had anticipated.

As they walked, he said softly, "I don’t know what Belfor told you, and I’m not going to look into it. That’s your personal matter, and I respect you. However..."

His words trailed off as he reached out and gently rubbed her face. "If you ever need support, come to me. I’ll always be there for you."

Badump!

Claire’s heart raced, and her face flushed so quickly that it was visible to the naked eye.

But after the initial embarrassment, a sense of relief and happiness welled up inside her.

Without a second thought, she turned around and hugged Nolan tightly.

Her face pressed against his chest, and the embrace grew stronger.

"Thank you for all your help these past few days, Nolan. If it weren’t for you, I would never have felt this kind of happiness. You’re my savior... and I’d give my whole life for you," she uttered in an affectionate tone.

Nolan just smiled and gently patted her back. But behind his eyes, there was a flash of playfulness that he hid well.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t the only one hiding his true feelings—Claire was too.

The woman opened her teary eyes. Upon closer look, her pupils reflected a powerful symbol of love and obsession.

That moment marked the beginning of Nolan’s future regret for playing with Claire’s—and other women’s—feelings.

...

The next day, the atmosphere in the capital grew tense. Tomorrow was the day of Belfor’s trial, and many were eager to see how the Emperor and the judges would rule.

After all, Belfor was no ordinary head of a trading house. He was the Emperor’s father-in-law through the Third Concubine, Melinda Horven. Everyone hoped His Majesty would act fairly.

However, not everyone believed that. It was hard to imagine Ragan being firm and impartial toward his own father-in-law.

Even so, all they could do was wait for tomorrow’s outcome.

If the emperor proved himself just, then he truly deserved the nickname "Iron Fist."

But if not, the people’s trust in the Imperial Family could crumble—and that would be disastrous for the future of the Empire.

In his room, Nolan sat leisurely reading his book. Suddenly, Malverna appeared beside him, her face clouded with confusion, as if a thousand thoughts were racing through her mind.

Noticing this, Nolan grew curious and closed his book.

"What’s wrong? It’s unusual to see that expression on your face," he teased playfully.

Malverna immediately turned sullen and shot him an annoyed glance.

Still, she didn’t hide her thoughts. "I’ve been wondering why you want to take over the Red Obsidian Trade House and make Claire Horven the highest authority there later. Don’t you think your plan is... risky?"

This question had been weighing on her for days. Of course, she hadn’t mentioned it to Nolan, preferring to figure it out on her own.

Yet, after all this time, she still couldn’t come up with a satisfactory answer.

Nolan was slightly surprised. He hadn’t expected Malverna to think along those lines. But upon reflection, it made sense.

He had once told her to analyze his every action and learn from it. Perhaps, to Malverna, his move toward the Red Obsidian Trade House seemed reckless—or even pointless.

A faint smile curved his lips as he crossed his legs and rested his palm against the left side of his face.

"I’ll tell you. But first, make me some coffee," he said casually.

To his surprise, Malverna didn’t refuse. She quickly stood and walked to the far end of the room, where the ingredients for tea and coffee were kept.

A few minutes later, she returned with a cup of coffee and placed it on the table. Her gaze locked on Nolan as she asked firmly, "Tell me."

Nolan let out a small chuckle, took a sip of his coffee, and nodded in satisfaction at the taste.

"You’re confused about why I took over the Red Obsidian Trading House, right?" Nolan asked.

"Yes, that’s exactly what I want to know," Malverna replied with a slow nod.

"Actually, there’s no particular reason," Nolan said, glancing toward the balcony in front of him. "I just wanted to prevent a complete monopoly, which could trigger public outrage in the future."

"A complete monopoly?" Malverna frowned. The term was unfamiliar, and she had no idea what it meant.

Noticing her confusion, Nolan continued calmly, "A monopoly is a system where one group or trading house controls a good, region, or field without any competitors. Simply put, they stand alone—and no one can challenge them."

"Take the Blue Moon Trading House, for example. If the Red Obsidian Trading House were to collapse, do you think they’d have an opponent? The answer is obvious—no. They would be the only giant standing strong in this empire. Even if other trading houses remain, they’re just ants trying to shake the tree. Do you understand?"

Nolan took another sip of his coffee, letting Malverna consider his words carefully.

"So it’s like that..." Malverna murmured, nodding slowly. Now she finally understood why Nolan was doing all this.

It was also the first time she had encountered someone who didn’t feel the need to control everything himself. In the demon race’s mindset, anyone who controlled territory or resources automatically earned the respect of others.

But since being by Nolan’s side, all those principles seemed to have fallen away. Instead, everything was filled with intrigue, deceit, and cunning games.

For simple-minded Malverna, it all made her head spin. Even so, she had to admit one thing—her horizons were expanding, and strangely, she felt happy about it.

Suddenly, she realized something and looked at Nolan seriously. "You said you wanted to avoid a monopoly. But now that the Red Obsidian Trading House’s power is in your hands, isn’t that... essentially a monopoly?"

"Very clever," Nolan praised, lightly clapping his hands. "Yes, I did say I wanted to avoid a monopoly. But I never said I didn’t want to do it, did I?"

Catching Nolan’s playful gaze, the corners of Malverna’s lips twitched slightly.

This guy...

she muttered to herself, at a loss for words. This man was truly cunning—so cunning that she was often fooled by the mask of kindness he wore.

But then again, it made sense. After all, the one who became master of the Demon Empress should indeed be a clever and dangerous figure, right?