Leila

“Snowing is getting intense; I hope there is not a storm,” said Baron Harrods, looking at heavy snow in carriages widow.

“It won’t be,” I said.

Snow is strong, but not all the elements are aligning. Which is good. I didn’t want anything to delay this trip; it is too important for me and also for the old man in front of me.

It is an enormous opportunity. This deal has the potential to change the fortune of my territory and me.

The turbulent times are coming, and strong territory will help a lot in that time, especially if the bets go wrong. The house is being careful, but anything could happen.

“Do you think the deal could succeed, Lady Leila?” the old man asked, with a hint of nervousness, which he was trying to hide.

It is the first time he had asked me this question.

The deal is very important for the old man more than me. Unlike me and many others in the baronies, he didn’t have the support of a powerful family. That could pour a large amount of money into his territory.

If the whispers I heard are right. Then this old man is at his last financially and agriculture is not enough to support him.

It will take him a few years to open enough farmland to support his territory financially, but he didn’t have a few years.

He didn’t even have a few months.

“Remus is feeling it could succeed. I am also feeling there is a high chance of success,”

“If what I have heard is right, then the party on the other side is also desperate and needs the trade as much as we do,” I said after a few seconds of silence.

“I really hope so,” he said with a small hopeful smile on his face.

A few minutes passed, and the carriage stopped. Immediately, I adjusted my clothing and stepped out of the carriage, and felt an intense cold. That couldn’t bring a smile to my face.

Ice is my element, and it felt like hope. Though, even I won’t be able to stay comfortable in such for a long time. My magic hasn’t become powerful enough for such a temperature to become harmless to me.

A few seconds later, an old man came out, wearing a thick winter jacket.

“I don’t like snow. I would rather spend days in a desert than this damn snow,” cursed the old man as he appeared by me.

I smiled, and we walked toward the river. A minute later, we stopped at its bank, where there are already people waiting for us.

“Baron Harrods, Lady Silver. I am administrator Jost; I will take you two to the other side,” said the middle-aged man with a faint bow.

I nodded, and he took us to the boat, and a few seconds later; it moved toward the other side.

“Even in such snow, the ships are still coming and going,” said Baron Harrods, looking at large ships on the river.

“Trade never stops for anything. Be it snow, famine, or war,” I said. It is the supreme motto of the merchant. Most powerful merchant houses had been found in the dangerous times.

Some people in the House of Silver are looking forward to a succession war and started making moves to reap the rewards that come with risks.

Grandfather is cautious, which I think is a wise choice.

I pushed those thoughts away and focused on the wonderful snow.

I always liked snow. In Redfawn, we didn’t have it, but Father would always take me to Rohn every winter, where there is snow.

It was the happiest time of my life.

I raised my hand and snow begin to gather over it and when enough gathered. They begin to move, and soon formed a face; seeing it, my eyes couldn’t help but tear up.

I dispersed the snow a second later and wipe away my tears. People have noticed but politely looked away.

Soon, the boat reached the other shore and found a familiar person waiting on the other.

Seeing him, my expression couldn’t help but turn complicated and regrets appeared in front of my eyes.

…

“Baron Harrods, Lady Lela, welcome to the Greltheaven,” I said, as they appeared in front of me.

I am a little surprised to see my sister not wearing even a single piece of winter clothing.

“Adviser, you didn’t have to come personally,” said Baron Harrods. “I wanted to,” I replied, and we walked toward the carriage.

It is snowing quite hard today. It will slow down our journey to the merchant state, but it wouldn’t affect the overall journey.

Soon we are the carriage, and the old seemed quite relieved from the cold.

“How was the journey?” I asked them as the carriage begin to move toward the city. “Good, there wasn’t any problem other than the snow,” he replied.

I could only smile in response and look at my sister, who is looking at me. Leila is a cryromancer. She had a high affinity with the ice element. It is the main reason she was accepted into one most of the premier magic academies in the world.

“How are the preparations?” asked Leila.

“Everything is great. Though, it would have been even better if you both had more time to finish the task,” I replied, and the three of us sighed together.

Twenty minutes passed, and the carriage stopped in front of the large mansion, where I had dropped them to rest.

They are tired. For the past three days, they have been meeting with orc tribes, not returning to their fiefs till last night. Even there, they didn’t stay for more than a few hours, before taking the journey to the Greltheaven.

It is not just them who were busy. I have been busy making the preparation.

This trip is important, and it is going to be quick. If everything goes well, we will return to the city the day after tomorrow.

I planned to make another trip to the merchant cities with Carla for the girls at the end of the week. It had already been nearly one and a half months since the new girls debuted and got used to the business.

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The space has been built for the new girls, and now we only need to bring them.

I really hope nothing happens on this trip, that could make me change my plans and it wouldn’t. We will directly go to Oksall and return through the same route.

With Count present with hidden and unhidden guards; there won’t be any problem.

Oksall wouldn’t let anything happen to the Count. He is a powerful noble from the most powerful houses of the empire. It would create a huge diplomatic incident if something were to happen to him.

Soon, the carriage stopped in front of my office, and I walked out and enter my office, while nodding at city employees, shoveling the snow.

As I entered my office, I saw the girls working there. Not only Jill and Clair but also Lola and Andrea.

I only had three days, and there was a lot of work that needed to be done.

“Have you finished them?” I asked Andre and Lola. “Yes, it is finished,” said Lola and handed me the file. I took it and began to read it. As I finished, a smile couldn’t help, but appear on my face.

“Good job, job both of you,” I said and took another file and made a change in it.

A few minutes later, I am finished and so is the work.

I looked at the clock, and it was nine. Three hours later, we will leave for the Oksall; I will have to be at the mansion two hours before that.

Click!

I was thinking about what should I do, when the door of my office opened, and Carla walked in wearing a black dress and had her hair up with only a single pin keeping them in place.

The black dress she is wearing a simple, but the way she is walking and the expression, she had made her look like the greatest seductress in the world.

“You look beautiful,” I said as she appeared in front of me. “I know,” she said with her voice turning husky.

I opened my mouth for another praise, but before I could even utter a single word, I found her lips on me, and a moment later; we were kissing passionately with stuff on the table flying everywhere.

For an hour, only loud cries and moans rang out of the room, with the sex of the smell filling its every corner.

We had done it in the night, but it was not enough.

“I have to leave,” I said. We are on the floor on top of each other, with sweat sliding down from our bodies. I was great, full of passion, and I want more, but I didn’t have the time.

“Go, get ready,” she said and kissed me.

The kiss lasted for more than a minute and my hands roamed around her enchanting body before I stopped and forcefully pulled away from the kiss.

It took quite the willpower to do that.

She smiled as got off me, while I get up and walked into the small room behind my office and stepped into the shower.

I can’t go and meet with Count and others with the smell of sex on me.

I showered within ten minutes and changed into the new suit before walking into the office, where everything had been fixed. Even the smell of sex had disappeared.

Now, even I can’t tell, it is a place where we had fucked like bunnies a few minutes ago.

“Take care and came back safe,” said Carla. “I will,” I said and kissed her. The kiss was gentle and lasted a while before I pulled back and walked out of the office with a stack of files in my hand.

When I got out, the intensity of the snow had increased even further. Shaun had cast a barrier around me as I entered the carriage.

A few minutes later, the carriage entered the mansion, and I walked out. I had a barrier around me until I entered the mansion.

“My lords,” I greeted father and son as I entered the office. Which is filled with people, including one unfamiliar woman with a mage staff.

“You are late Remus,” said Lancel sharply.

“My apologies, my lord. The last bit of work, too more time, than I had thought,” I replied and placed a stack of files on Count Darrow’s table.

“Is everything done, Remus?” he asked. “Yes, my lord,” I said.

“Good, then let's leave. The snow is going to get worse. It is better, we leave early to reach Oksall on time,” he said and got up.

I am surprised as I thought we would have one last meeting before leaving, but he is right, too. The storm is going to make us late if we follow our old schedule.

Soon, we were out of the office with me following behind the Count, alongside Robin, who was also coming with us.

“Who is the mage?” I asked him. The woman looked to be in her early forties. She is tall, with sharp blue eyes, which people would first notice about her than her beautiful face.

She is talking to my sister about privacy skills.

“High Mage Amara Beaumont. She is a retainer of Count Darrow,” he replied.

We reached the door of the mansion and immediately, the purple gem on Mage Beaumont’s staff lit up. Lancel and Count immediately got covered in a white layer of protection while we walked into the wild snow without it.

Shaun and Zela are present, but they didn’t cast a spell on me, which is a wise thing.

It might seem like disrespect.

Soon, we were in the carriages, aside from Count Darrow and Lancel. There is also my sister, Baron Harrods, Commander Atticus, Robin, Mage Beaumont, Mage York, and me.

Everybody is coming, except for Lancel and Mage York.

Lancel is scared shitless after experiencing bandit attacks. He didn’t leave the city even once, since he returned from the baronies.

That was nearly two months ago.

Twenty minutes later, we got out of the carriage and saw a beautiful yacht in front of us.