Chapter 201: Being Questioned (I)

Elara:

I couldn’t even explain how much satisfaction I felt as my every word landed exactly how I needed it to.

"Of course, I might have misunderstood some details, but Master Brown seemed quite certain about it. And since I’m the only royal present in this room today, I suppose Jasper isn’t technically obligated to greet anyone else first."

I offered Mrs. Valemont an apologetic little smile, as though I had just explained an unfortunate misunderstanding rather than reminded every person at the table that ironically, according to the hierarchy they claimed to uphold, my blood knight’s position outranked theirs.

"I hope you can understand. He’s simply following the rules as he was taught to understand them."

By the time I finished speaking, the atmosphere had become deliciously tense. Mrs. Greymark’s lips had pressed into a thin line, Mrs. Valemont looked as though she had swallowed something bitter, and several of the others seemed to be reconsidering whether it had been wise to question Jasper’s presence in the first place.

The only person whose reactions didn’t match everyone else’s was Lorien. The stiffness in his shoulders had loosened just enough for me to know that he’s actually enjoying the situation though his face gave nothing away as usual.

I too kept my expression soft and my hands folded neatly in front of me, refusing to let even the smallest trace of satisfaction show. After all, I hadn’t insulted anyone. I had merely explained a rule they apparently hadn’t considered. If they were offended by the implications, that was hardly my fault.

Jasper remained silent behind me, but I could practically feel his approval radiating through the space between us.

Then the moment shattered with the sound of claps accompanied by laughter.

My gaze shifted toward the source of the sound, and I found Regent Valemont leaning back in his chair, clapping his hands with an expression that might have fooled someone who didn’t know any better.

His laughter echoed through the meeting room, drawing everyone’s attention toward him, but I wasn’t foolish enough to believe he was genuinely amused by the little performance Jasper and I had just put on. I might have fooled the others by pretending I had merely been sharing an innocent piece of information, but there were two men in this room who wouldn’t fall for that act.

Lorien knew my personality too well to believe I had stumbled upon such a convenient fact without understanding its implications, and Regent Valemont had a particularly irritating ability to see through the shields I carefully built around myself.

I straightened slightly in my seat, keeping my expression calm as I waited for him to decide what he wanted to do with the situation. I had expected a lecture, perhaps a pointed remark about respecting the Regents or a reminder that a princess should learn to choose her battles more carefully.

Instead, when his laughter finally subsided, he looked directly at me and said, "It seems you have learned a few tricks since we last met, Princess Argentis."

I offered him a polite smile, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing whether his words had struck their intended target. "I have had some excellent teachers, Regent Valemont."

It was a perfectly harmless response, one that acknowledged his remark without confirming or denying anything, and I was almost surprised when he simply regarded me for another moment before letting the matter drop.

Just like that, the subject of Jasper’s behavior was over. I should have been relieved, but the disappearance of one problem only meant we could finally move on to the reason I had been summoned here in the first place. And judging by the way Regent Valemont’s expression changed, I had a feeling I wasn’t going to enjoy the next part of this meeting nearly as much.

He folded his hands on the table, his gaze settling on me with the sort of measured scrutiny that made it clear he wasn’t interested in wasting time on pleasantries.

"Princess Argentis, perhaps you could explain something to us. Why did you sell so many private properties belonging to you, along with the entire car collection your father left behind, almost immediately after returning to the Royal Palace?"

There it was. I had known this question was coming, which was precisely why I had spent the previous few evenings thinking through every possible way to answer it without giving these people a reason to interfere with my decisions. Still, I kept my expression open and innocent as I folded my hands in my lap.

"Oh, that." I let out a small, almost embarrassed laugh. "When I returned to the palace, I was given a list of all the assets that belonged to me personally rather than to the Crown. I spent some time reviewing it, and I realized that most of those assets weren’t particularly useful to me in their current form."

I paused briefly, making sure I had everyone’s attention before continuing. "For instance, I couldn’t keep all the stores and businesses listed under my name while attending the academy and preparing for my responsibilities as Crown Princess. Rather than let them sit idle or continue consuming resources without serving any purpose in my life, I decided to sell them."

"The cars were a similar matter. My b... father had an extensive collection, but most of the vehicles were older models, and I couldn’t possibly drive all of them even if I wanted to. Keeping them simply because they had once belonged to him didn’t seem like a particularly practical decision. As for the mansions..." I gave a small shrug. "There were more than a dozen properties spread across different regions. I can hardly live in all of them at once, can I? Maintaining so many houses would be an unnecessary expense when I could use the money for something more productive. So I sold them and converted those assets into liquid funds. If I need another house or a vehicle in the future, I can always purchase one that better suits my needs at that time."

I finished with another polite smile, then waited. My explanation was simple, logical, and, more importantly, difficult to challenge without making the Regents appear unreasonable.

I hadn’t sold the Crown’s property, interfered with public funds, or touched anything belonging to the kingdom. Every asset I had liquidated was legally mine, and I had made the decision after reviewing what I owned. There was no rule requiring me to preserve every car my biological father had ever driven or maintain a dozen mansions simply because they were part of my inheritance.

For a brief moment, nobody spoke. Then Regent Ashbourne leaned forward, her expression carrying a mixture of concern and disapproval.

"You are still very young, Princess," she began, adopting the gentle, patronizing tone adults often used when they wanted to criticize someone while pretending they were only trying to help. "And you haven’t had anyone guiding you through this matter. These properties and businesses were not ordinary possessions. They were assets that had been preserved and maintained for twenty years so that you would have something to return to when you were finally found. Surely you should have consulted us before making such significant decisions. We might have helped you understand their value and advised you on how best to manage them."