The position of the Duke of Aulu didn't sound very serious, or rather, it seemed more like an honorary title.
And that was indeed the case.
This council was originally composed of the empire's bank presidents, guild leaders, and prominent merchants. Nominally, it provided economic policy advice to the Emperor and the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
When Su Cheng was leafing through the materials on Galen VII, she had specifically looked at this piece of information and spent some time figuring it out.
As the chief advisor, his job was to regularly organize and host gatherings, compiling economic reports and proposals to present to the Privy Council.
The Duke of Aulu had an excellent relationship with the Chancellor of the Exchequer and was also in close contact with the Emperor.
It was said that His Majesty the Emperor was obsessed with magic and spent all year doing research with the professionals in the Royal Mage Corps.
And several core members of the Mage Corps had either been recommended by the Duke of Aulu or had some dealings with him.
"Good evening, Your Grace."
Su Cheng replied to him, then gently grasped his hand. "The honor is mine as well."
Amidst countless whispers and envious gazes, they stepped onto the dance floor together.
The night-like dome above displayed a vast starry sky, where vibrant purple and golden-red blended into the deep indigo.
The crystal chandelier rotated slowly. The faceted gemstone lampshades cut through the light source, diffracting millions of scattered silver sparkles, like a pouring galaxy.
"You shouldn't say that—"
The man's pleasant voice came from above.
The music in the hall gradually became melodious and cheerful. The harp's tones were like a babbling mountain spring, and the flutes and piccolos sounded like a flock of birds circling in the forest, flying freely.
"I am deeply honored by your gracious presence."
The moment their palms clasped, she felt many hard, metallic bumps pressing against the roots of her fingers and her palm.
Priceless rings, one after another, sat between his fingers.
His skin was smooth and warm, devoid of any scars or calluses, and the touch against her palm was very comfortable.
As for those rings—
Some were scorching hot, like charcoal burning in a fire, while others were utterly freezing, like frozen stones at the bottom of a lake.
Obviously, these were all made from magical ores.
The blonde man smiled and raised his other hand, lightly wrapping it around her waist and back, still maintaining a polite distance.
They were very close.
She couldn't help but look at his accessories. The heavy gold brooch had a pigeon-blood ruby in the center, clustered like rose petals.
On the hand she was just holding, he wore three rings.
The pitch-black band on his middle finger held a dark onyx, and a pattern seemed to swirl slowly within the gemstone.
On his little finger was a multi-faceted sapphire ring, shrouded in a faint white halo, like hazy frost and mist.
The thumb ring looked as if it were carved from some kind of bone, scattering a colorful radiance under the light.
The man was also very tall. When they spoke, his breath imperceptibly brushed past her bangs, carrying a woody base note of perfume and a hint of alcohol.
The scent was very faint, not overpowering at all; on the contrary, it smelled quite pleasant.
"...You seem to have a lot of questions, Your Excellency."
The Duke of Aulu suddenly spoke.
Su Cheng didn't want to appear as if she knew him too well, nor did she want to cut straight to the chase.
She pondered for a moment, then asked with feigned ignorance, "Your Grace's position must be very important, right? That title sounds like something that would appear in the archives."
"Just call me Galen," the blonde man said with a smile. "Indeed, its pronunciation is a bit lengthy, but don't overthink it. You see, suppose the empire is a person, then the Chancellor of the Exchequer is the housekeeper, calculating this person's daily income, as well as how much bread and cake she eats, her jewelry, dresses... all sorts of expenses."
He tilted his head slightly and continued in a tone as if sharing a secret: "And we are merely her doctors. We listen to those sounds—the horns of sailors on the docks, the songs of farmers in the fields, the footsteps of laborers in the mines, or the sighs of nobles caressing silk and jewels. All these, gathered together, form the pulse of the empire. Whether it is strong or weak, steady or chaotic, this is what we need to diagnose and correct."
Su Cheng: "..."
She had to admit, this guy's way of speaking was truly pleasant to the ear.
This wasn't about the content, but a pure auditory enjoyment.
He must have had relevant training and education. From the cadence and modulation of his tone to the pronunciation of every word, he made the listener feel genuinely comfortable.
And perhaps it wasn't just pleasant to hear.
Some people have beautiful voices.
But when they speak, they can still make their listeners zone out or even feel drowsy.
However, the moment this duke opened his mouth to speak, it made people subconsciously want to keep listening.
"When we discover her illnesses, such as blocked blood vessels and nodules—the textiles in a certain district might decrease in volume due to a poor harvest of dye plants, or the grain from the north cannot be smoothly transported to the capital due to canal congestion—we collect this information in advance and promptly offer potentially useful advice to His Majesty the Emperor and the Ministry of Finance."
He spoke methodically, "For instance, encouraging merchant caravans to open up new routes, bringing new silk from the archipelagos of the Principality of Anser, or dredging that canal that hasn't seen activity in far too long."
Their dance steps shifted with the rhythm of the music.
"I understand," Su Cheng said softly. "Thank you for clearing that up. I believe only a prominent figure like you, with such rich experience and extensive connections, could undertake such an important job."
That joyful and brisk melody gradually became melodious, like a pastoral song echoing across the wilderness.
Their heels glided across the brightly polished jade floor, which reflected the flowing glow of the lights and countless blurry, swaying figures.
The diamond-studded hem of her skirt spun open in the air like rippling waves, perfectly matching the low hum of the orchestral strings.
Su Cheng caught a glimpse of the waiters standing quietly by the dance floor. The trays in their hands held tall goblets, their high-quality transparent crystal sparkling brightly.
"...You are too polite, Your Excellency. It is my great honor to hold such a position, which demonstrates His Majesty's trust in me, and I sincerely hope that the empire will forever remain healthy and strong."
After an elegant spin, the Duke lightly held her waist. "You look as though you have more to say?"
Su Cheng sighed softly.
The Aulu family possessed a rather formidable intelligence network, allowing them to obtain many updates at the very first moment.
His answer actually had no issues, but he was definitely beautifying himself—and sometimes, the truth was exactly the opposite.
Just like how sometimes it wasn't their advice that guided economic policy.
Instead, he would catch wind of the trends first; for example, if the imperial government was going to invest in construction projects somewhere, the Aulu family could go there in advance to purchase land.
Of course, from another perspective, he could also use those proposals to cleverly guide these investment plans into industries controlled by his own family.
The two left the dance floor and headed to a side hall.
In silver platters lay roasted poultry legs drizzled with a golden broth simmered from rare mushrooms. The flavor was savory and delicious, with a faint hint of spice, almost melting in the mouth.
A giant lobster, sliced into thin pieces and measuring about two meters from head to tail, was nestled among ice cubes. Each slice boasted beautiful marbling and a diamond-like luster.
And these were merely the dishes near the entrance. Along the center of the hall, the long tables were laden with all sorts of unheard-of delicacies, displayed like works of art.
Su Cheng: "...Since you are so adept at offering various proposals, Your Grace, would you care to give me a suggestion on which dish I should start with?"
"Well then," Galen looked at her with a smile, "I'm guessing you might like seafood, such as the lobster meat—"
Su Cheng's heart skipped a beat.
Previously, when she had disguised herself as Vanessa and gone to the Marigold Palace, she had eaten a plate of lobster in the banquet hall.
"Because you've been staring at that giant lobster," Galen blinked, "right?"
Su Cheng: "..."
This guy.
"So," Su Cheng spoke, feigning nonchalance, "is that an Ice-Armored Lobster, the tier-five magical beast?"
She only said this to show that she was looking at the lobster out of curiosity about its species, not out of gluttony.
"Indeed," Galen smiled and nodded. "You have a keen eye, though this one is a mutant variant, making it even more precious."
"I'd like to ask a rather tacky question," Su Cheng said curiously. "What is the value of this dish?"
If they were on a date, this question would be absolutely terrible. It might make the other party think she was a country bumpkin, not only vulgar but also ignorant.
But she wasn't trying to score favor points anyway.
"Hmm," Galen thought for a moment, "five thousand seven hundred gold coins, including the commission paid to the mercenaries."
Su Cheng was a bit surprised.
And not just because of the number itself.
Su Cheng: "I thought you wouldn't personally look into the details of the dining room."
Galen shook his head slightly. "Regarding this ball, the only part I was involved in was adding a few names to the guest list."
Su Cheng mused that she must have been one of them. After all, a ball like this would have been planned long in advance, a time when she probably wasn't even a God's Favored yet.
"But the reason I can answer you is that I know everything that makes up this number—whether it's the bounty in the Mercenary Guild for hunting and transporting such a magical beast, the salary of the half-elf chef I hired, or the cost of everything else you see before your eyes."
He chuckled. "If the actual cost of this dish exceeded the quote I just gave you, the manager in charge of this banquet would be fired tomorrow. If it were the other way around, I would reward her. However, I think that's highly unlikely. I know my employees' capabilities; it's enough for them to perform normally within their means."
Su Cheng blinked. "...Indeed, I can tell you have a very good memory."
"Well, thank you," Galen pondered for a moment. "By the way, please do not think this is a tacky question."
The Duke looked at her earnestly. His deep eyes took on a honey color in the light, and framed by his long eyelashes, they appeared somewhat affectionate.
"'Value' is very honest; it does not lie. It translates all intangible efforts into tangible numbers—the hardships of the mercenaries sneaking through the icy seas, the culinary skills honed by the head chef over centuries, and the efforts during transportation. A tier-five magical beast is no docile kitten. To ensure the guests get the best experience, it must be transported alive to the imperial capital, which is certainly not an easy journey. Oh, and the inspiration behind the plating of the dishes."
Galen spread his hands. "Skill, time, inspiration—these are hard to measure intuitively. But money can crown passionate efforts with cold numbers, which is the fairest way. You are exploring the sum of all the wonderful things behind a dish; how could that be tacky? This is clearly an ultimate exploration of beauty. You must also have a very interesting soul."
Su Cheng: "..."
This guy really had a way with words.
She could easily imagine how silver-tongued he must be during the imperial council meetings, and how he could sweet-talk the Emperor into a dizzying spin.
Su Cheng slowly picked up two slices of lobster meat. Taking just one bite, she felt as if she had lived the first half of her life in vain.
She did not hide the amazement on her face. Galen looked at her with a faint smile, "Now the value of this dish has increased again; it has pleased you."
The corners of his lips curled up. "If my chef ever resigns to open a restaurant in the future, perhaps this incident could be written on his signboard."
Su Cheng nearly choked. "I think a resume stating 'formerly served the Aulu family' would be enough to attract all the customers; there'd be no need to say anything else."
After burying her head and eating several more slices of lobster in a row, she suddenly heard the man beside her speak again.
"Your Excellency, the manager of the auction house came to me earlier, saying they had run into a thorny issue."
Duke Aulu said slowly, "To prevent unnecessary panic, the news of Prince Aquila's disappearance hasn't spread in the imperial capital, but I suppose you probably already know—"
Su Cheng turned her head to look at him.
"After all, you came with His Excellency Xiao Lan. He should know about it. Even though he had already left by then, he still had other acquaintances present at the Marigold Palace when the incident occurred."
The Duke continued, "The Empire has lost a noble and powerful member of the royal family, and we are all heartbroken. However, right before Her Highness the Prince disappeared, she had just won the bid for a mysterious dragon bone from the Lightless Ruins at our establishment and signed the ownership transfer contract. Following our unwritten custom with royal family members, which is built on absolute trust, the auction house allowed her to take all her auctioned items away on the spot. And now—"
He looked at her with a half-smile. "This morning, the manager of the auction house went to the Prince's estate to visit her steward, only to be refused payment for the two million gold coin bill. How do you think this matter should be resolved?"
Su Cheng: "..."
So she hadn't paid for it yet!
