Chapter 431: Invitation to Cooperate and Rejection

"In that case, once the party is over, I’ll bring the contract to you, Princess," Shion said.

"Me too," Claire chimed in. "Later, I’ll have my subordinate hand you the contract. Don’t worry—my offer is very generous, and you’ll be more than satisfied."

Shion glared at her, clearly displeased by her words.

Claire pretended not to notice and kept her gaze fixed on Elina.

"All right, I’ll wait. Thank you, Sister Shion and Miss Claire," Elina replied softly.

Finally, the two giants of the empire’s trading houses had agreed to her investment plan. In one year—or more precisely, six months—the town of Virella would surely become one of the most advanced towns.

"I won’t trouble you or Young Lady Rafine any longer," Shion said.

After exchanging polite farewells, she turned and left. Her mission accomplished, she needed to report back to her master immediately.

Claire also said her goodbyes and then headed elsewhere to discuss business with the heads of noble families in the hall.

Watching them leave, Elina felt slightly dazed. She still couldn’t believe how smoothly everything had gone.

At first, she had thought securing investment from these two giants would be extremely difficult. But it turned out to be much easier than she had imagined.

’It must all be thanks to Brother Nolan’s influence,’

she muttered with a long sigh.

It was unimaginable that these two women—renowned as the most powerful in the empire—would offer such a profitable investment for her and the town of Virella.

It should be noted that there was only one thing on the minds of merchants: profit. Her brother had always called them true capitalists.

So, she was certain this had something to do with him. He maintained a good relationship with one of the high-ranking officials of the Blue Moon Trading House, which was most likely why Shion had been so generous toward her.

As for Claire, Elina didn’t quite understand her motives. Logically, Claire should have hated her brother for destroying the Red Obsidian Trading House.

However, Elina knew from her brother that Claire was Belfor’s illegitimate child—the very person she hated.

It was likely that Claire was actually grateful to Nolan for overthrowing Belfor.

If Nolan knew what she was thinking, he would have burst out laughing. In reality, things were far simpler than Elina imagined.

Whether it was Blue Moon or White Lotus, both were under Nolan’s influence. Unfortunately, he wasn’t at this party—and had no idea what his sister was pondering.

"Elina, thank you," Rafine said, bowing her head. "Because of you, the Austin family also gained substantial profits."

The investment from Shion and Claire was later made in two forms: cash and factory construction.

Because the town of Virella was located in the eastern region, the two trading houses had no choice but to obtain approval from the regional owners—the Austin family.

They also needed a partner, which, once again, was the Austin family.

In this way, it was certain that the Austins would secure significant long-term benefits.

"Pfft! Why thank me? The Austin family’s support in the battle for the throne is already enough for me to be grateful to you. This is just a small reward for you and your family," Elina replied, helping Rafine straighten up.

As the saying goes,

"If the leader enjoys a delicious meal, the people will enjoy it too."

Since the Austin family had placed their bets on her, she wouldn’t be stingy in letting them taste a bit of the honey. It would only strengthen their loyalty—that had been her brother’s advice.

Rafine nodded and gave a faint smile. "You’re right, Elina."

But she couldn’t deny that the profits from the two trading houses’ investments were enormous.

She would have to talk to her father later and suggest that he offer Elina an investment as well.

Even though she knew Elina would probably refuse, he still wanted to give it—as a token of their trust in her.

"Then let’s go greet the other heads of noble families," Elina said.

Many noble families remained neutral, and they were her next targets.

Rafine had no objection. But before the two of them could take a step forward, a voice called out from behind.

"Elina, can I have a moment of your time?"

Startled, they both turned and saw Cassian.

"Cassian?" Elina frowned. "What do you want?"

Her tone was sharp, full of caution and wariness.

Rafine beside her tensed as well, her eyes narrowing on Cassian.

Cassian only smiled and stepped forward.

"Why are you so wary? Do you think I’m going to hurt you?"

His expression was gentle, like that of a caring older brother.

Naturally, their guard relaxed slightly. They realized their reflexes had been a bit excessive.

"So... what do you want?"

Elina’s intuition warned her that Cassian’s arrival was not without purpose. He must have a plan she hadn’t yet discovered.

"Is greeting a younger sibling really something to question?" Cassian rolled his eyes. He picked up a glass of wine from the table and took a sip. "Fine, I won’t beat around the bush. I want to ask you to team up with me."

Elina’s brows furrowed in doubt. "Team up with you? What do you mean?"

Cassian glanced around, as if making sure no one else was listening.

"Simply put, I want to team up with you to get rid of Cedric, Aldric, and Adalen. You must realize they are very powerful contenders in this battle for the throne, right? If we work together to remove them, only you and I will remain. Then we can compete fairly. So... what do you say?"

He didn’t rush for an answer, remaining calm as he sipped his wine.

"Work together to eliminate the other candidates?" Elina smiled faintly and shook her head. "No, I don’t want to."

Did Cassian think she was naive?

The battle for the throne was a contest among all candidates. Only the last one standing could win. Cooperation was impossible.

Even if she wanted to agree, her father would surely forbid it—it would be considered a violation of the rules.

Rafine breathed a sigh of relief at Elina’s firm answer.

If she had agreed, everything she had built so far would surely have been threatened.

Cassian’s expression darkened. Elina’s refusal felt like both mockery and insult.

Anger surged within him, but he quickly suppressed it. Now was not the time to be ruled by emotion.

Since Elina refused to be his pawn, his only alternative was to turn her into a demon—forcing her to endure an indelible humiliation and become the perpetrator of the "attack" the cult members were planning.

"Is that your answer? Alright, I won’t force you," Cassian said, shaking his head as if helpless.

At that moment, a servant passed by, carrying a tray with five glasses of wine.

Cassian picked up the glass at the edge and handed it to Elina.

"Even if we can’t work together, I’ll still consider you my sister. Don’t be too hard on me in the future, okay?"

A warm smile spread across his face, instantly dispelling any suspicion Elina might have felt.

She accepted the wine with a small smile. "Of course. You too."

Cassian chuckled and raised his glass. Elina lifted hers as well, and their glasses clinked.

As she brought the rim to her lips, a sudden, loud voice echoed in her mind:

"Don’t drink it!"