Ore and Hemlines

Thin sunlight filtered through the study's towering glass windows, casting dappled light and shadow over the broad oak desk and velvet carpet.

Boer sat upright in the seat of honor, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the map of the Bernier Kingdom spread before him.

His hawklike gaze remained fixed on the vast northern woodlands marked as Astir Earl's Territory and the fiefs of several lesser nobles.

Vermilion circles clearly outlined several confirmed metal deposits on the map-iron, silver, and even some rare associated minerals.

Yet those markings of abundance stood in bitter contrast to the cold reality.

Roland's anxious, humiliated report echoed in his mind: "...the nobles on the consortium's side keep pushing their offers lower... they claim the market is saturated... they control both the channels and the accounts..."

The Steel Heavy Industry Consortium, the enterprise in which he had placed such high hopes-to break the traditional weapons supply system, accumulate immense wealth, and use it as leverage to overturn the kingdom's entire order-was now being throttled by internal parasites and external machinations over a "lack of raw materials."

A bizarre gulf lay between the rich deposits marked on the map and the ore shortage the consortium actually faced.

"Elena." Boer's voice was quiet, but like a stone dropped into still water, it stirred echoes through the spacious study.

Almost the instant he finished speaking, the heavy carved wooden door opened soundlessly.

Elena, the housekeeper, appeared silently as a shadow and bowed slightly, wearing a fitted dark housekeeper's dress that accentuated her astonishing curves.

"My lord, what are your orders?" Her voice carried its distinctive, heart-stirring huskiness, though her manner was considerably more solemn than last time.

Yet the rounded, vibrant curves of her waist and hips, swaying naturally as she walked, still exuded a fatal attraction through their subtle contrast with her dignified bearing.

"Please bring Miss Chloe to the study." As she turned to carry out his order, Boer's gaze involuntarily followed her graceful figure for a moment.

In this world where strength reigns supreme, beauty may be the most common weapon, but it is also the most dangerous poison, Boer thought. Still, before absolute force, even the most exquisite weapon is ultimately nothing more than a pawn to be moved about the board.

Appreciation was one thing, but he soon suppressed that pleasure, his gaze turning cold and focused again.

Meanwhile, in a luxurious guest room at the other end, Chloe Kent's heart was tightly bound by intertwined cords of apprehension and humiliation.

When Elena delivered Boer's summons with an impeccable yet utterly cold smile, Chloe felt her heart sink.

She, a daughter of a collateral branch of the Kent Family who had survived the political storm, was nothing more than an offering presented to the victor to beg forgiveness and secure benefits, a beautifully wrapped gift.

What a tremendous irony. When the Kent Family had been at its zenith, her branch had been all but invisible within the family, ruthlessly suppressed by the main line.

Yet when the great tree of the family came crashing down under the joint assault of Boer and Prince Locke, she, a woman who had been hastily sent back, had once again been chosen for her beauty as "tribute," becoming the link through which the family's remaining forces barely maintained a shred of dignity and connection in the Royal Capital.

Her parents and younger brother had now instead gained temporary safety and preferential treatment because of her "presence."

"Dress... appropriately, Miss Chloe." Before leaving, Elena gave her nightdress a meaningful glance, her gentle voice carrying an unmistakable suggestion. "The master appreciates... the sincerity of baring oneself."

The words pierced what little self-respect she had left like a cold dagger. Do they really treat me as some kind of object to be used?

She chose a pale green, high-waisted lady's gown. Its expensive silk softly hugged her fully developed curves, enticing as ripe summer fruit, outlining her slender waist and full breasts.

Delicate vines and little flowers embroidered in silver thread adorned the dress, complementing her blend of girlish freshness and mature feminine allure.

She carefully swept up her long black hair into an elegant, slightly languid bun. A few unruly strands fell beside her fair, slender neck, lending her an added air of delicacy and fragility.

Her gaze finally settled on her legs, tightly encased in white stockings, their intricate woven patterns like invisible shackles.

On her feet were pale yellow stiletto heels, making her already graceful figure appear even taller and straighter, yet also making her feel even more like merchandise waiting to be unwrapped.

Most shameful of all was the absence of anything beneath her skirt-following the housekeeper's blatant suggestion, she had removed every inner layer of protection. The sensation of silk brushing directly against her skin constantly reminded her of her present identity and predicament.

The family's letter-begging her to seize this opportunity and secure a chance of survival for them.

The veiled promise from Prince Locke's attendant-"Serve Lord Boer well, and your family will receive the royal family's protection."

And her personal humiliation and the like... all of it battled fiercely in her mind.

She drew a deep breath and, facing the mirror, forced a docile smile tinged with timidity.

Yet deep within those seemingly calm, lake-green eyes lay suppressed fury, icy despair, and a trace of stubborn refusal to accept her fate.

When, filled with conflicting feelings, she gently knocked on the study's heavy wooden door, a calm voice answered from within, "Come in."

Boer raised his head and looked at Chloe as she entered. To ordinary eyes, she was an impeccably presented, nervous young noblewoman.

But within the magnetic-field perception of the beyond observation haki Boer had quietly activated, her life force resembled a candle flame trembling violently in the wind, its light flickering uncertainly. Her emotional fluctuations were chaotic ripples, filled with wariness, fear, resentment, and a trace of... resolve?

"My lord, you sent for me?" Chloe's voice was soft, with just the right hint of trembling. Head lowered, not daring to meet Boer's eyes, she performed an impeccable curtsy, her skirt tracing an elegant arc.

"Yes. Come here, Chloe." Boer's voice betrayed neither pleasure nor anger. He pointed to the map spread across the desk, his tone even.

"Help me take a look at this. I have a few questions about these northern mineral deposits. After all, the Kent Family once had a place in the kingdom's mineral trade."

Just... questions? Chloe's heart suddenly eased, as though she had been granted a temporary reprieve from the gallows, but then an indescribable sense of disappointment quietly surfaced.

Was even her appeal as a woman insufficient to stir the slightest interest in him? That contradictory feeling left her even more confused.

She approached the desk softly, her gaze settling obediently on the enormous map. Her eyes swept quickly across the Royal Capital, passed over the fertile Harvest Plains, and finally fixed, as though drawn by a magnet, on those glaring red circles in the northern woodlands.

In an instant, secrets circulated within the family, her father's drunken complaints, and the unspoken rules tacitly understood in noble circles rapidly fitted together in her mind like fragments.

Her keen political instincts, combined with the Devil Fruit abilities the man before her had displayed and the difficulties facing the Steel Heavy Industry Consortium he was advancing, allowed her to grasp the crux of the matter at once.

She drew a deep breath, as though reaching a decision. She could not merely be a puppet answering questions; she had to demonstrate her worth, whether through intelligence or... her body. This was her opportunity, and the Kent Family's as well.

"My lord," she raised her eyes, her lake-green gaze meeting Boer's. Her voice remained soft, but now held a keen edge of insight.

"You wish to ask why the abundant northern minerals marked on the map cannot be delivered to the consortium you established with the other lords, leaving it short of raw materials instead, and even forcing it to endure those... unreasonable prices and accounts, correct?"

A flicker of genuine surprise crossed Boer's eyes, then deepened into appreciation.

He leaned back slightly, adopting a more relaxed posture toward her, the faintest smile touching his lips. "Very precise. It seems I came to the right person. Tell me your thoughts."

That encouraging look was like a spark falling onto the parched grassland within Chloe's heart.

She did not answer immediately. Instead, she did something extraordinarily bold. Her fingers brushed lightly across the smooth desktop, seemingly unconsciously, while her body moved gracefully toward Boer like a supple water snake.

A delicate fragrance, elegant without being cloying, reached Boer's nose first. Unlike Elena's intense, aggressive allure, it was a natural bodily scent mingled with fine perfume.

Then, under Boer's slightly startled gaze, she turned lightly and settled sideways across his thighs with remarkable naturalness!

The movement drew her fitted skirt a considerable distance upward, almost completely exposing her beautiful legs in their exquisite white patterned stockings before Boer's eyes.

The sensation of her bare flesh beneath the skirt passed distinctly through the thin fabric of his suit trousers to Boer's skin, bringing an astonishing warmth and slipperiness.

Chloe rested her forehead lightly against Boer's broad, solid chest, like a cat seeking shelter while cautiously testing him.

She could hear the strong, steady heartbeat within his chest and feel the instant his body stiffened at her bold action.

Her breath was fragrant, its warmth brushing the side of Boer's neck as she spoke softly, her tone aggrieved and almost conspiratorial. "It all begins with the enormous 'Heavenly Tribute' levied by the World Government, my lord..."

From the corner of her eye, she cautiously glanced at Boer's profile so close to hers, delicate and handsome yet possessing a composure beyond his years. Her heart could not help skipping a beat, but her words remained clear, carrying a barely perceptible sorrow:

"To scrape together that astronomical sum, enough to ruin any non-affiliated nation, His Majesty... had no choice but to tighten the noose around every noble's neck. And the 'Mountain Viscount,' who controlled the largest northern mining district at the time, intensified his exploitation of the miners to meet the royal assessment while lining his own pockets."

"He forced the miners to work faster day and night, regardless of the danger to their lives. Safety measures existed in name only. Cave-ins, gas explosions... countless people were killed or injured." Her fingers unconsciously tightened around the fabric over Boer's chest. "The miners could no longer survive, and finally... they rebelled. They killed the viscount."

"When the news reached the Royal Capital, the furious king sent troops to wipe them out. But... those people, those rebel miners, and the people supporting them... supposedly called the 'Revolutionary Army'..." As she mentioned that name, her voice dropped further, carrying a trace of instinctive fear.

"They knew those mountains and forests too well. As soon as the kingdom's army arrived, they scattered into small groups and hid deep in the wilderness. Once the army left, they immediately emerged and retook the mines, even organizing an armed force called something like the 'Mine Protection Squad.' Several suppression campaigns achieved very little and instead incurred enormous losses."

She raised her head, her lake-green eyes fixed on Boer, looking pitifully vulnerable even as she sharply identified the heart of the matter. "Over time, the royal family and the nobles whose fiefs lay in that region seemed to... tacitly accept the stalemate. After all, maintaining superficial stability was politically more 'cost-effective' than reclaiming a mining district that kept bleeding them dry. Besides..."

She paused, her voice growing softer.

"Some people might welcome the consortium's difficulties. After all, an uncontrolled entity with powerful weapons-production capabilities poses an enormous threat to the established distribution of interests. Cutting off the ore supply might be 'gentler' than direct confrontation, and more effective."

When Chloe settled lightly onto his thighs like a butterfly, that glimpse of exposed flesh and the astonishing, unobstructed sensation beneath her skirt did indeed make Boer's heartbeat falter slightly and his breathing grow a little heavier.

A powerful, primal impulse surged into his mind-Why work so hard? With my current strength, I could live a life of luxury in this world beyond anything I dared imagine in my previous life.

Endless wealth, supreme power, and stunning beauties like Elena and Chloe willingly throwing themselves into my arms... why bother with the Steel Heavy Industry Consortium or a mineral crisis? I only need to enjoy everything already within reach...

The temptation was like a siren's song, sweet and deadly.

Yet just as his arms were about to instinctively encircle the warm, soft beauty in his lap, a flash of clarity doused the flames rising in his eyes like ice water.

He remembered Thatch's uncertainty and loyalty, Roland's anxiety and efforts, the promises he had made, and, more than anything, the vastness of this sea and its surging undercurrents.

Power and pleasure should not be the destination, but tools for realizing greater ambitions. If he indulged in them, how would he differ from the nobles he despised?

He lowered his head and, gently, as though handling a fragile treasure, pressed a restrained, fleeting kiss to Chloe's smooth forehead. The kiss held no lust; it was more like reassurance and a promise.

Then, with an unquestionable yet exceptionally gentle strength, he slipped both hands beneath Chloe's arms and lifted her steadily from his lap like an exquisite doll, setting her lightly on the edge of the desk.

Chloe looked up in astonishment, her lake-green eyes filled with bewilderment and a trace of embarrassment at being rejected, her cheeks scarlet.

Boer stood and looked down at her, his face regaining its earlier calm and inscrutability, though a hint of calculation and decisiveness now entered his eyes.

"Thank you for the information, Chloe. It is extremely valuable. Not only does it confirm my suspicions, it also lets me see some of the hidden pieces on the board." His voice was steady, yet carried an unquestionable force.

He changed the subject, seemingly casually, though his words carried immense weight. "The consortium also needs some fresh blood internally. People who... understand how to read the situation and are clearheaded enough. Roland has a great deal to handle. He needs reliable people to manage paperwork and check the accounts of transactions."

Chloe's heart gave a sudden leap, and she looked at Boer in disbelief.

Boer gave her no time to think, continuing in a flat yet pointed tone. "Select a few such people from your Kent Family. They must be quick-witted, know which way the wind is blowing, and understand the loopholes in the old rules. Have them report to Roland tomorrow. Tell him I asked you to send them to assist him, and, while they're there... learn the new rules."

His gaze settled on Chloe's face with almost tangible weight. "I know your Kent Family is having a difficult time. Plenty of people in the Royal Capital are waiting to kick you while you're down. This is an opportunity, Chloe. Let me see your worth, and not merely on this desk."

His gaze swept meaningfully over her fingers, slightly curled with tension. "Do the job well. Spare Roland trouble, spare me trouble, and your family will spare itself a great deal of future 'trouble.'"

Those words exploded like thunder in Chloe's mind. This was by no means a simple assignment of work! Boer was sending a powerful signal to every noble in the Royal Capital-

The fallen Kent Family had not been completely abandoned. His word alone might even restore some room for them to maneuver, turning them into a wedge he could drive into the old interest groups!

Sending members of the Kent Family into the consortium's system, currently controlled by noble forces, was clearly a way to dilute their influence, counterbalance them, and warn those nobles still secretly throwing obstacles in his path! And Boer had chosen the Kent Family to serve as that "blade"!

Enormous opportunity and enormous risk emerged together. If they succeeded, the family would gain breathing room and might even regain its footing; if they failed, or harbored divided loyalties, the Kent Family would be utterly doomed.

She instantly understood Boer's deeper intention: this was both a test and a binding tie. He was fastening her fate and her family's more tightly to his chariot.

"I... I understand, my lord!" Chloe's voice trembled slightly with excitement, but her gaze grew firm. Her soft body quickly slipped from the edge of the desk, and she straightened before performing an exceptionally solemn, almost reverent curtsy.

"The Kent Family will never betray your trust! I will immediately select the most reliable, sensible people, those most familiar with the old accounts and transactions, and have them report to Lord Roland this afternoon! They will do everything in their power to assist Lord Roland, clear away... obstacles, and straighten out the accounts!"

Seeing how swiftly and accurately she understood his intentions, genuine satisfaction flashed in Boer's eyes. He extended a hand, not to embrace her, but to lift her smooth chin gently with his fingertips, making her look up at him.

"Very good. I like dealing with intelligent people, especially those who know how to read the situation." His thumb lightly stroked her jawline, the gesture carrying a possessive intimacy. "Remember, your allegiance now belongs to me, and to our shared undertaking." He left the rest unsaid, but the coldness flashing through his eyes was more threatening than any words.

Chloe felt a shiver race up her spine, but stronger still was a strange sense of security at having found someone to rely on. "Yes, my lord! The Kent Family will follow your lead alone!"

Boer withdrew his hand, his expression becoming unfathomable once more.

"I think tonight... we may have plenty of time for a deeper... 'exchange.'" He deliberately paused, lending the word "exchange" a hint of ambiguity, both soothing her complicated feelings and leaving himself room to maneuver.

"But now," he straightened his slightly rumpled clothing, his gaze returning to the map marked with mineral deposits and spheres of influence, his eyes sharpening with aggression, "I'm afraid I must excuse myself. Since we know the root of certain problems, they need to be 'resolved' directly."

With that, he lingered no longer, turning and striding out of the study. The heavy wooden door closed behind him, separating the worlds within and without.

Chloe stood alone in the center of the study, feeling as though she had weathered a violent storm. She touched the chin Boer had just handled, where the warmth and strength of his fingertips still seemed to linger.

Beneath her skirt, her earlier boldness, her nervousness, and this sudden turn in her fate had long since left her damp with tiny beads of moisture.

She looked at the closed door, her heart filled with lingering fear, relief, and a determination to burn her bridges...