"Coming to where I eat to spread rumors."
The words rang through the cavernous hall. The eighty tables of nobles, who had been raising hell moments ago, all fell silent. Every one of them pricked up their ears.
Elena sat in a chair nearby and shifted into a more comfortable position.
Livia did not back down.
She planted both hands directly on the edge of the table before Old Ford.
"This kingdom has been rotten to the core for a long time. Look at the sort of things sitting here."
She pointed at a neighboring table of military nobles. "Tens of thousands die at the front every day, and they're still skimming military rations to buy estates."
Her finger swung around, pointing at Old Ford.
"Old Ford only wants to push the Iris Family onto the throne. Has he ever cared about the people starving to death in those refugee camps?"
Her finger turned again, pointing at Elena.
"That young lady has nothing in her head but how to expand her family's power. Which one of them has ever thought about cleaning up this mess?"
Livia took two steps forward, stopping before Su Li.
"Only I can drain this quagmire dry." Livia stared straight at Su Li. "Every intelligence network will answer to your command. All the money in the treasury will be yours to manage. I'll give you the highest authority—all of it."
She pulled a long, dark-gold key from her robes and slammed it heavily onto the main table with a sharp clang.
"As long as you stand with me, you'll be Orenda's uncrowned king!"
Su Li did not even glance at the dark-gold key.
He pointed at a table of cold dishes not far away.
"Quit drawing castles in the air. I don't care about any quagmire."