Dulakton City lay slightly farther south than Sewell City, but the wind and snow sweeping down from the north had still blanketed all of Dulakton City that morning, turning the entire city white.
Count Michelle set down the letter in her hand and looked out the window.
Outside, auspicious snow covered everything, and icicles hung from the branches. The sight was especially beautiful, and it also suggested that Dulakton City might enjoy a bountiful harvest the following year.
Yet Count Michelle felt no joy at all. Instead, a trace of worry settled over her.
Prince Eric was clearly deeply displeased that Count Longley had privately contacted Xu Yi and even invited the Xinfei Merchant Guild to invest in Basaru City. In his reply to Count Michelle, he had gone so far as to denounce Count Longley as a traitor who had betrayed not only Prince Eric, but also his deceased father.
Perhaps because of the anger Count Longley had stirred up, Prince Eric was equally displeased with Count Michelle's suggestion in her previous letter that they consider cooperating with the Xinfei Merchant Guild. His words were full of doubt and accusations directed at her. He had stopped just short of asking outright whether she wanted to become a traitor too.
Count Michelle was not surprised by Prince Eric's reaction, but she was deeply disappointed that, under these circumstances, all he knew how to do was express his anger.
Before he had even properly understood why Count Longley had contacted Xu Yi, he had branded him a traitor. In Count Michelle's eyes, that was an extremely petty thing to do.
Even if Count Longley had indeed contacted Xu Yi and invited the Xinfei Merchant Guild to invest in Bateru City, that was entirely separate from betraying Prince Eric. It certainly did