The Countess linked her arm through Shade's as she spoke of the Ancient Witch blessing children. She instinctively wanted to discuss how Witches could not leave descendants behind, but swallowed the words before they left her lips.
She did not want to discuss such a subject here.
The Hawthorne Family had put great effort into this banquet, but the seven people most crucial to it left the banquet hall as soon as it began. The old Earl Hawthorne had prepared a room like a conference chamber in his residence. Once the representatives of the Seven Great Families arrived with their confidants and took their seats, the door was locked from within. Old Earl Hawthorne opened with the most important question:
"What do we do now?"
All three earls, two viscounts, and two barons were present. These seven people were the ones who truly controlled the city. Yet no one spoke immediately. After a silent exchange of appraising looks, Miss Belinder was ultimately the first to smile and speak:
"Since the elders who have reached a certain age are unwilling to speak, let me, the youngest junior here, make a suggestion."
Though she called herself a junior, she was not remotely polite when she rose to speak. Naturally, Shade had no seat. He stood behind the Countess with Miss Matilda.
"When I was young, I saw dragons as legends. I never imagined that the authority and wealth bestowed upon our families would become debts for our generation to repay. But now that things have come to this, we must accept reality. So, what do you think? Do you agree to my earlier proposal? Since everyone knows certain things, why not bring out those family ciphers and parchments passed down through the generations? Our seven surnames have walked together through such a