If Tori could flip a table, she would’ve flipped a table.
The first thing she thought of was that Alessa’s succession had to do with Adrien going to Chetterswickshire. Kasen’s people did say that he was staying at the Hart Manor and now Tori knew why.
Her jaw clenched and a dark smile graced her lips. “That halo of hers is stronger than I thought....” She muttered in a trembling voice.
Tori was prepared for Alessa to inherit her father’s title one day, but in the distant, post-game future. Nowhere in the wiki-article did it mention Alessa becoming a baroness in the game. The only title changes she had were if she succeeded in Gideon’s route and became a princess and eventual empress.
How the fuck did we get here?
“Piers, Tori. Take this to the tent.” A scraping sound was heard as Sebastian pushed his chair back and stood up. “There are guests.”
He didn’t look across the restaurant, where a few couples were seated and looking curiously over at the newly arrived prince, but Tori assumed that’s what he meant. She looked towards her friends.
“Looks like there is some government stuff that needs to be disclosed,” Tori said with a forced smile. “I’ll talk to you about this tomorrow.”
Her friends nodded in silence and Tori could see the concern, disbelief, and irritation on their faces.
“Don’t overthink it too much,” Ilyana said, extending her hand to grab on to hers. “You’re a countess now.”
Tori squeezed her hand and gave her a small nod, before directing the knight to hand her over to Piers. Her father, mother, and brothers stood up to follow and before Piers could get ahold of Tori’s wheelchair, Kasen grabbed on and pushed her forward.
“The next time you bring such news, at least make sure you announce it in a suitable location,” Kasen said in a low voice as he gave Piers a small glare.
Piers kept his head lowered, but nodded. Tori’s hands squeezed the arm rests of her chair as her brother pushed her back to her tent. Her expression only eased when they passed villagers and Tori smiled and accepted their greetings.
However, her mind was spinning.
She didn’t know what Alessa’s new title would mean. There was no problem with outranking her. A baron was a low ranking noble, and Tori was mid-level. In addition, her territory was larger than Chetterswickshire.
But did becoming a baroness give Alessa any advantages?
That thought was most prevalent. As the villain of the game, any advantage Alessa had was an obvious disadvantage for Tori. Alessa’s safe return to Chetterswickshire after running away and causing a bunch of problems was already irritating to think about. Alessa got what she wanted and suffered no significant punishment, and now she was also a baroness. What kind of game logic was this?
Wait, no. This never happened in the game...is it self-correcting to give her an advantage? Is this an advantage?
They entered Tori’s tent and once the tent flap closed behind them, Sebastian crossed his arms over his chest and glowered at Piers. “Tell us what you know.”
“Chamber representative Evans, who represents Baron Hart in the Chamber, was speaking to his peers before the meeting. He said that Baron Hart has retired from his position and his daughter has succeeded him. He said that the Baron wanted to marry a commoner and his daughter protested. This was their compromise.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Tori spoke out before she could control herself. Her parents looked at her surprised while her brothers raised their brows. “A compromise? After everything that happened? After an innocent person was killed, this was a compromise? Who instigated it?”
“I don’t know. I checked with the Office of Noble Authority and the formal documents giving the title, land, and power through succession have not yet been filed nor received,” Piers told her.
“Then it might’ve just happened, and the documents are still on their way to be filed,” Sebastian said with a frown.
“But Evans would know as soon as the decision is made,” Kasen replied. “Noble representatives are selected by the noble themselves. If the noble in power changes, they can select and install a new representative.”
Sebastian nodded. “Evans could lose his position.” He looked at his brother. “How long has he represented Baron Hart?”
While Common Chamber members were elected every five years based on when their region was incorporated, noble representatives could hold their position if the noble who selected them willed it. This could be as little as a few days to as long as a lifetime. The marches periodically checked the efficacy of their representatives and if one was deemed ineffective or no longer representative of them in the manner they wanted, that person was replaced.
“Fifteen years,” Kasen answered. “I don’t believe the representative for Baron Hart has changed since he took over.”
“He must be very worried about his job,” Antonia said from the bench. She crossed her legs and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees as she looked at her children and husband attentively. “He’d have to move back to Chetterswickshire. If he has a family, they will also have to move back. Their temporary residence is invalid without the position.”
“There is no news of a replacement, yet,” Piers said in a quiet voice. “It is uncertain when he will be replaced.”
“But the new Baroness will replace him. If she is new to the position, she is at a disadvantage if a seasoned representative doesn’t agree with her plans. She needs someone who won’t fight against her. She will select a new representative before the end of the year.” Kasen’s prediction was too generous for Tori.
She could see Alessa replacing the representative before the end of the summer. There were three requirements necessary for a selected noble representative. Obviously, the first was that they were permanent residents of the land their noble governed. Second, they needed to be at least twenty-two years old. Third, they needed at least the minimum education set by the empire.
That was it. They were incredibly old requirements and most nobles had more.
Tori was discussing her own noble representative, and possible Common Chamber member candidates, with the village leads, so she was familiar. Her own requirements were much stricter.
“How will this change affect Chetterswickshire and her education at Lycée?” Tori asked. “Chetterswickshire is about a week away from Horizon. How will she govern, especially immediately after succession?”
“Her father is still alive,” Gregorio said as he took a seat next to Antonia. He let out a heavy sigh and leaned back on the bench. “Although the title holder has changed, Baron Hart is still there and would be able to guide his daughter. Things like budgets, high level legal work, and governing changes would require her approval, but as far as day-to-day work, it can be handed off.”
“If there are no large changes planned for Chetterswickshire, then the new baroness can still attend Lycée while her father maintains the status quo back home,” Antonia added.
Tori pursed her already frowning lips. She couldn’t even count on Alessa changing schools so she could attend in peace. There was no winning in this situation.
“Adrien Rosiek was seen staying at Hart Manor. Is there a chance that he was involved in this, possibly to have more influence on the commerce of Chetterswickshire?” Love interests always got involved to try to make things better for the protagonist. “The town isn’t doing well financially, and he may want to take advantage of this as he has people making clothing for his cow store there.”
She looked up and saw her brothers exchanging looks. They thought it was possible as well. Kasen looked back at her. “I’ll have my people keep watching.”
Tori nodded and Sebastian patted her head. “You still outrank her, Tori. You needn’t worry about her trying to use her title to bully you.”
She almost wanted to snort. Direct bullying by Alessa was unlikely to happen when Alessa was the heroine. The pure heroine type Alessa was would not go down that route. What Tori wanted to watch out for was a shifting undercurrent that could put her in a perilous position. This was something she had to watch out for when there were leadership changes at work in her original world. Alessa could instigate something, but it was a love interest who would move.
Constantine was one of her people, so she didn’t worry about him.
Gideon wouldn’t touch her because Piers would simply cut off ties with him. He’d also been behaving recently.
Fabian had no real power outside of being a swordsman and Tori had no problem tackling him herself.
Tom was still under careful watch at a print shop in Presidio. He didn’t have sufficient power to do much, either.
Montan had his own problems to deal with. Tori was also confident enough with her charms and crystals that she could counter Montan if needed, or at the very least slow him down.
Dimitri wouldn’t do anything so soon after the poachers. His parents were watching his every move, and he was restricted financially.
Adrien was her biggest threat now. If he raced all the way to Chetterswickshire to see Alessa, and helped her become a baroness, there was no telling what else he would do.
Tori took a deep breath. “Thank you for telling us, Piers. I’m not too worried about Hart, but I am suspicious about Rosiek.”
“Our people will continue to watch him and any changes in Chetterswickshire,” Kasen told her. He looked back at Piers with disapproval. “And this could’ve been a call.”
“You needn’t have come in person,” Sebastian said in a dull voice. Piers looked away, but didn’t bother defending himself.
“I suppose I should get back to work on my business proposals,” Tori said. With the belief that Adrien participated in Alessa’s succession, a sense of urgency arose. Before he could gain any more influence, wealth, or backing, she needed to disrupt his plans. “Piers, I’m going to need your help. I’d like to contact some ambassadors and your Aunt Celine.”
“Celine?” Gregorio’s voice sounded tired. He tilted his head back and shook it as Antonia patted his arm. “Tori, you want to do business with her?”
“She has something I need.”
“What do you need?” her father said. “If we have it, it’s yours.”
“Property in the Central District.” As far as she knew, her family didn’t have property there, as when she was looking for a storefront for Lions Gate, they had nothing available in the Second District. If they didn’t have anything in the Second District, how could they have anything in the Central District?
As expected, her father’s face fell.
“Does it need to be in the Central District?” he asked, almost looking pained. Tori nodded. She wanted her foray into alcohol sales to target a wealthy demographic that spent obscene amounts of money for what was essentially bragging rights. The best place to go fishing for them was the Central District.
“Call Maria de Sophos.” Her mother’s voice filled the tent and several sets of eyes turned towards her. Antonia remained leaning back against the bench, looking casual but with a firm look on her face. Her comcry was in her hand and it was pulsing.
“Big Sis!” A woman’s bubbly voice answered after a few moments. “How are you? You hardly call recently, have you been busy? I miss you; I should visit!”
“Maria, do you still have the property in the Central District from your godmother?” Antonia asked, without any pleasantries.
“Yes, but it’s not very well kept.” She didn’t sound at all put off by Antonia’s straightforward words. The woman gasped and then sounded excited. “Do you need it?”
“I will pay for it.”
“You don’t need to pay for it,” the woman said affectionately. “I don’t need it. I wanted to sell it off ages ago and bring the money into the abbey, but Father insisted I keep it. Why do you need it? Gueveras have plenty of property.”
“It’s not for me,” Antonia said. “It’s for your niece.”
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“...Oh no, it’s not Aquilla is it? I told Fabiana that she could have my Horizon flat for Aquilla and the storefront beneath it for Andreas, but not to covet the rest of my property. Just because I’m a nun and live in an abbey doesn’t mean I’m going to hand her children everything. Dom never asks for land, you know. He even rejected the Tres Arcos flat for Artemisia. However, she’s still on my will for it. Dom can’t stop me.”
Tori furrowed her brows as her Auntie Maria went on a tirade about her other siblings. Aside from Grandpa and Grandma Sophos, Tori didn’t have much contact with her mother’s immediate family. The Sophos family was a scholarly family from Presidio, but aside from Antonia, the rest of Grandpa Sophos’ children lived elsewhere.
Fabiana, the second daughter a year younger than her mother, married and lived somewhere in Horizon. She and Antonia weren’t close, so Tori and her brothers never had contact with her. Auntie Lucia said that Fabiana was always jealous of their mother. Fabiana didn’t get accepted into Lycée and her husband was one of Antonia’s early admirers. They had two children, a son and a daughter who were both older than Tori.
Dominico, the third child and only son, taught at a research university along the coast in Sur. Tres Arcos was the nearest city. He and his wife had one daughter also older than Tori.
The youngest of her mother’s siblings was Maria, who was a nun at an abbey near to Temple Mountain. The age gap between her and Antonia was thirteen years and Maria loved Antonia the most out of their siblings. She was also Antonia’s favorite sibling. Antonia was the only one in the family who supported Maria becoming a nun.
“It’s not for Aquilla or Artemisia. It’s for Tori,” Antonia said in a deadpan voice.
There was a bit of a pause and then a confused voice. “Tori? Victoria?” Tori squinted. Did her aunt forget she existed? “Why does she need property? She’s a Guevera.”
“We don’t have anything in the Central District,” Antonia said. “You know that landowners in the Central District won’t sell unless they’re desperate. Tori was considering asking Princess Celine, but dealing with imperial family members is troublesome, so I thought I’d ask you if you’re willing to sell.”
“If it’s within the family, I don’t mind,” Maria replied. “But since I’ve set aside property for Fabiana and Dom’s children, I can give this to Tori. She just turned sixteen; it would be a fitting gift.”
Sebastian stood up straight. “She didn’t gift us anything....” he whispered as he looked at Kasen, who furrowed his brows. Tori rolled her eyes. As if her brothers needed property.
“No, we will pay for it,” Antonia said in a firm voice. “Consider it money for the abbey. Besides, if we accept it as a gift, Fabiana will complain.”
Maria sighed, resigned. “You’re right. She’s so annoying.... Let me get an estimate on the property’s worth, not counting the structure on it. I warn you; it will be expensive.”
“It’s fine.”
“I will get back to you soon!” Maria sounded cheerful. “Or I can visit Presidio and see you! I do have a sabbatical coming up.”
“Auntie Maria.” Tori piped up as she steered herself towards her mother. “It’s Tori.”
“Tori! I haven’t heard your voice in so long. Are you still dancing?” Maria asked warmly.
“Yes, but I’m currently in a wheelchair-”
“In what?” Maria’s voice immediately dropped. “Why are you in a wheelchair? What happened?”
“It’s temporary. No need to worry,” Tori said, brushing it off. “If you have a sabbatical, do you want to visit the Cosora Delta?”
“The Cosora Delta? Isn’t that where the pope’s boy is working?” Maria asked.
Tori was a bit surprised that she knew, but figured Constantine was a popular figure in the religious world. “Yes, he’s collaborating with me.”
“Maria, your niece was awarded a peerage and land,” Gregorio said. His sharp eyes glared at Piers. “She’s now Countess of Cosora.”
[https://static.wixstatic.com/media/334114_6091e4325c304c4d9804d3c53f9887d3~mv2.png]“Do you ever feel like you’re not doing enough even when you’re trying your best?”
Several people looked at Tori as she gripped the wooden bars on either side of her with leather gloved hands. She had a thin sheen of sweat across her forehead and her hair was tied up in a thick, unruly bun as she took a step forward, almost dragging her foot.
Ilyana’s eyes crinkled up and her shoulders slumped. “Why would you say that?”
“Everyone has a limit. You can’t do everything,” JP said as he stood to one side of the parallel bars. The newly built device was attached to a low wooden platform and could be disassembled and moved around. Currently, it was in Piers’ tent, as he was back in Horizon and her tent was a bit too cluttered with her mother and father working and the piles of documents all around.
“I know that. I also know that I’m ignorant of a lot of things, but I feel like I should be doing more. There is so much to do.” Tori let out a huff and took two more small steps. She could stand on her own, but her control wasn’t particularly good. She looked like a newborn fawn trying to walk. Since both her legs were unreliable, she found she couldn’t steady herself on crutches and continued to use a wheelchair.
It was frustrating that after several weeks she could feel her legs and feel energy, but her control was so bad that she still couldn’t walk properly. She wondered if the crystal shock was more severe than previously thought and asked Master Ramos and Dr. Cooper-Fountaine to check her again.
It resulted in an hour-long conversation coaxing her to give herself more time, as different people recovered at slightly different times. What they told her initially was only an estimation, not a set timeline.
And Tori knew this. It was logical and she should’ve expected it, but she was not satisfied with her progress regardless. She couldn’t help but feel as if she were held back or holding others back. Instead of focusing on her responsibilities at the delta, she had to relearn to walk.
She was lucky that everyone was so accommodating, but there was some lingering guilt and irritation at herself.
“Aside from any new projects, at this point in the construction, you only need to check progress and deal with any unexpected problems,” JP said. “It’s still summer and you’re already working on what to do in the winter.”
“I can’t waste time,” Tori said as she reached the end of the bars. The knight who was standing on the other side of the bars stepped closer and she shook her head. “No, I can turn around on my own.”
She took a deep breath and stiffened her legs. She turned her torso and switched hands on the bars to keep herself steady, then turned her hips and legs around to face the other direction.
“You’re doing a good job, Countess.” A tall brown-haired woman followed her carefully and occasionally made corrections to her posture. She was Idunn’s cousin, Anette, who was in her early twenties and received medical training at a medical college in Horizon. She had graduated that spring, but rather than go off to join the military as many Nordursin medics did, she came to the delta.
The main reason was because the cousin she idolized, Idunn, asked if she could assist with Tori’s recovery. Tori was, after all, Idunn’s future sister-in-law. Anette also heard that Tori had a device made to help with her physical therapy and was interested in seeing it. Lastly, she heard about the delta and wanted to come see it.
Anette only had to work a few hours a day, but she was very attentive and logged Tori’s progress. She massaged and stretched Tori’s legs. She guided Tori through various exercises and even monitored her food.
“How much longer do I have?” Tori asked as she reached the halfway point.
“Make it to the other end and then take a break. I will help you do stretches and rub your legs,” Anette told her. “You are progressing well these last few days. Your speed has increased, and your feet no longer drag.”
“Thanks.” Tori steadied her breathing and took another step forward. When she reached the end, the knight pushed her wheelchair closer, and she carefully got on without anyone’s help. It was a small victory to be able to get in and out of the wheelchair by herself, without having to hold on to a railing.
“My lady, shall I push you to the back room?”
“No, take me back to my tent,” Tori said. “If Piers notices that his bedding has been used, he’ll be upset.”
The knight nodded and three people followed as he pushed her out. Her tent was just across the walkway, so it wasn’t far. Another knight lifted the flap to the tent to let her in and her mother and Kasen looked up. Her mother gave her a warm smile.
“How is it?” she asked.
“Any progress?” Kasen rose from his seat and walked towards them to take the wheelchair from the knight.
“If there is, it’s miniscule,” Tori replied with some frustration.
“My lord, the Countess is regaining her coordination, but it will take some more time,” Anette smiled brightly, and Kasen gave her a small nod.
“Thank you, Dr. Nordursin.”
She flushed and shook her head. “My lord, please, it is Anette.”
Tori drew her lips inward. It was as if her entire family drew everyone’s gazes. She’d gotten more compliments on how she looked since her parents arrived than she had the entire time she’d been working on the delta prior. It was always ‘no wonder, you are so beautiful, my lady. Your parents are the loveliest couple I’ve ever seen!’ or ‘the fruits don’t fall far from the tree.’
Then there were the people eyeing Kasen. Sebastian was taken and everyone agreed that he and Idunn were a good couple. But Kasen was single and when he wasn’t in the safety of her tent, there would be someone trying to strike up a conversation with him or awkwardly trying to get his attention.
“Anette, then.” Kasen smiled back and pushed Tori into the bed chamber.
“Tori, do you need us to do anything?” JP asked, remaining in the front area with Ilyana, who was looking down at her feet.
“Check on the progress with the census and then schedule a meeting with the village leaders for the end of next week to discuss the outcome and electing a Common Chamber Representative for the start of next year. It’s not a rush, but I’d like to get them prepared a few months in advance before they enter the Chamber. Ilyana, please bring me the status of Duel. I want to go back with Henrik to check on the stores and Duel before your birthday.”
Ilyana nodded firmly, almost saluting Tori, before she and JP left the tent.
Tori was then helped on to her bed and went through another half hour of stretching and massage. Every now and then, the muscles in her legs would twitch.
“My lady, that will do for this afternoon. I will come by to help you once more before you retire for the night.”
“Thank you, Anette,” Tori said as she remained laying on the bed.
“Do you want to get back on your wheelchair?”
“I’m going to rest for a moment. I’ll be able to get on the wheelchair by myself, thank you.”
Anette gave her a bow and left the inner chamber. Tori closed her eyes and rested on her bed. She didn’t know if this was normal, but the energy of the vein felt stronger than it did before. After she began to recover, she slowly regained sensitivity to it, but she was sure it felt stronger than it did before.
It wasn’t uncomfortable. If she could describe it, it would be a gentle wave or pulse, like a heartbeat, that was all around her in the delta. It was somehow calming and reassuring.
She still hadn’t tried to ground and wondered if it would be easier or if the amount of energy she gathered would increase. Part of her was itching to try, but she reminded herself to give it a while longer. Her legs were still jelly and she didn’t know if that could affect her grounding control.
The last thing she needed was some sort of grounding backlash. Her luck hadn’t exactly been great regarding crystals lately.
“Tori.” Kasen gently tapped on the flap of the backroom. “Can I come in?”
“Sure.” Her brother entered her room and walked towards the side of her bed, taking a seat on the edge. Tori remained laying there with an arm over her eyes. “Any interesting news?”
“The poaching ring’s network has been traced. I need to leave for Osten,” Kasen told her.
Tori lifted her arm and moved it away from her eyes. She narrowed them and frowned. “Osten? Are you going to the border?”
“We suspect there may be strong activity along the northeastern border, bypassing the main routes from Osten to the Central Corridor and instead moving along the much more desolate mountains through Nordur,” Kasen said with a critical expression. “The less populated an area, the easier it is for them to move through unnoticed and now, while the weather is mild, there would be the most traffic. Baldwin has been tracking their routes around the southern mountains of Nordur. Marquess Nordursin has sent her son.”
Tori’s eyes crinkled up and her lips tightened into a line. “When I got involved in the search for Hart and the others, I didn’t think it would lead to something so big.”
Kasen nodded and stared ahead of him. “I doubt anyone did. However, we have something to work with.”
“Were there any more poachers?”
Kasen put on a wry smile. “Two more locations with caged animals were found along with thirty or so more individuals involved in trafficking. The animals were saved, but they’re in poor condition. Non-indigenous animals are going to be transported to Sur. There were also animal skins and horns, as well as what appeared to be dried parts of them hidden in crates. We suspect they were going to be smuggled out of Soleil by ship.”
Tori took a deep breath. “What kind of animals?”
Her brother’s hardened face softened. “Do you want to get Alexander a playmate?”
“I’m just curious.”
“There were two elephants.”
Tori’s eyes widened. Elephants were huge; how could they have been smuggled so easily? And most importantly: Tori loved elephants. Of Africa’s Big Five, they were her favorite. She loved watching their ears flap and using their trunks to eat. Suddenly finding out that they were trapped and smuggled, and in poor health, made her heart sink.
“Are they going to be all right?”
“They’ll be fine in Sur. There is some dry grassland for them, and we have resources to make sure they are taken care of. If we want to return them, we should wait until they are fit enough to travel.”
Tori nodded in agreement. “I trust our march.”
Kasen smiled and reached forward to pat her hair back. “I’m going to leave in the morning and won’t be back for some time. I’ve finished organizing the duties of an administrative count based on what we have in the march. Mama and I think the easiest way we can help you is to simply show you how it is done in Sur, without the added military concerns. It’s what we know best and there will be plenty to reference should issues arise later.
“I’ve compared it to what Piers sent on existing noble counties and there is a great deal of overlap, so despite the difference in status, size, and military responsibility, there should be no problem in governing the Cosora Delta as we do the civilian march. When you interview aides, ask if they have any experience or knowledge of march governments.”
Tori felt a massive weight lifted off her shoulders. Obviously, there was still a lot for her to learn before she had the confidence to run the county, but having an existing system and careful guidance reduced her stress significantly. In a way, she was no longer driving blind.
Learning little by little was manageable and she had some confidence in her ability to learn and adapt. As she advanced at her job in her original world, she had to learn more and more skills to be effective, so she took outside training, was mentored by senior project managers, and she forced herself to ask for help and take careful notes.
Her professors used to say, ‘you never stop learning.’
Her sword instructor added to that with ‘you never stop learning if you want to survive.’
“I’ll be sure to check on their job experience. Is there anything else you can recommend?”
“No, I think you have enough to consider at the moment. If any unforeseen problems arise, Mama and I are just a comcry call away.” He looked at her fondly and smiled.
“I’m sorry I don’t have your protection talisman ready,” Tori said. She was still reluctant to ground and when she was engraving crystals, it was a long process where she was grounding the entire time. “I should have it ready the next time you come.”
“There’s no rush. Have some faith in me. Just try to enjoy your summer.” Kasen lifted his head and squinted. “That reminds me, I have a birthday gift for Lady Agafonova. I’ll need you to pass it on to her.”
Tori’s brows shot up. “You bought a gift for Ilyana?”
“She is important to you,” Kasen said in a knowing voice. “Your first friend and your best friend. We are all very thankful that she is supporting you.”
“When you put it like that, I sound like someone people would be reluctant to befriend....”
Her brother chuckled. “It’s a small trinket. What are you giving her?”
“A party, food, and fireworks,” Tori said in a dull voice. He should’ve figured that out by now.
Her brother narrowed his eyes. “I don’t remember you gifting us anything of the sort.”
“I didn’t have those before. If you want, you can have your next birthday here, but your birthday is in early winter and it’s a bit dreary.”
“You can make me a cake.”
“Okay.” Tori agreed easily. “I’ll make you a cake.”
Kasen grinned. He touched her head once more. “Do you remember last year, when you called me crying because of your Lycée project?”
Tori lowered her eyes and her lips tugged up in a bittersweet smile.
“I remember.” She had been overwhelmed and angry then, too. Even now, she thought that she received an unfair assignment compared to the rest of the academic students, but at least it was progressing well.
“Tori, always remember that you have your family behind you. We won’t let you suffer,” Kasen told her gently. “And I know that once you become familiar with the work needed to run the county, you will do well. Look at what you’ve accomplished since you were assigned your project. I don’t want to admit it, nor do I like it, but the Emperor has a valid reason to give you such a responsibility.”
Tori drew her lips inward and bit them. Her voice didn’t hide her bitterness. “Responsibility is overrated.”