Chapter 7: The Underground Network

Evelina had no intention of celebrating her victory at the Imperial Court.

There was no time for it.

While her father dealt with the political mess left behind by Prince Cedric's failed scheme, Evelina was already working on her next move. The System had rewarded her with five hundred gold and a secret guild license, but she knew better than to waste either.

Money could buy weapons.

Influence could buy loyalty.

But information could destroy an enemy before they even realized a war had begun.

Three days after the trial, Evelina stood inside a hidden chamber beneath one of the most expensive tea houses in the capital.

From above, the establishment looked completely ordinary. Wealthy ladies visited for afternoon tea, merchants held quiet meetings, and nobles often gathered there to exchange gossip.

None of them knew that several meters beneath their feet was a heavily secured underground vault.

A long mahogany table occupied the center of the room.

Five people sat around it.

None of them were ordinary.

There was a former royal scholar who had been expelled from the Imperial Academy. A merchant's son who had become an information broker. Two rogues with connections to the criminal underground. And finally, a woman known throughout the capital for being able to discover secrets that people had buried for decades.

Evelina had chosen each of them carefully.

The System had helped her identify their skills, connections, weaknesses, and potential.

She looked at the five people sitting before her.

“Welcome.”

Her voice was calm.

“From today onward, you work for me.”

She rested her chin lightly against her folded hands.

“Not the Crown. Not the Church. And certainly not anyone else who believes they can buy your loyalty.”

A man sitting near the end of the table laughed.

His hands were covered in old scars, and a thin line ran from his jaw to his ear.

“So that's the plan?”

He leaned back in his chair.

“A noble lady playing with teacups wants to build an intelligence network?”

The others remained silent, but Evelina noticed the faint amusement in several of their eyes.

She didn't take offense.

Instead, she looked directly at the scarred man.

“Your name is Corvin.”

His smile disappeared.

Evelina snapped her fingers.

Dark-purple flames suddenly erupted from her palm.

Before Corvin could react, the magic wrapped around his body and forced him against the back of his chair.

His eyes widened.

“What—?”

A translucent blue window appeared before Evelina's eyes.

[TARGET DATA DETECTED.]

[Name: Corvin.]

[Debt: 50,000 Gold to the Northern Syndicate.]

[Wanted Status: Treason — Kingdom of Solaria.]

Evelina's expression remained perfectly calm.

“Because, Corvin, I know about your debt.”

The color slowly drained from his face.

“I also know that the Kingdom of Solaria has a standing bounty on your head.”

She leaned slightly forward.

“I can give you protection, funding, and a completely new identity.”

The purple flames tightened around him.

“Or I can hand you over to the people hunting you before midnight.”

Corvin stared at her.

For the first time, there was no arrogance in his expression.

Only fear.

“You wouldn't.”

Evelina smiled.

“Wouldn't I?”

She released the magic.

Corvin immediately straightened himself and took a deep breath.

The other four members of the group were no longer smiling.

They had finally understood something.

Evelina Rosenthal wasn't a spoiled noblewoman who had accidentally gained power.

She was someone who knew exactly how to use it.

“What are your orders?” Corvin finally asked.

Evelina leaned back.

“Simple.”

Her eyes swept across the room.

“I want information.”

She stood and walked slowly around the table.

“I want eyes inside every major noble household. I want ears in the royal kitchens, the military camps, the markets, and the churches.”

She stopped behind Corvin.

“I want to know what Prince Cedric eats for breakfast.”

Her voice became quieter.

“I want to know who Princess Alice meets when nobody is watching.”

She turned toward the others.

“And I want to know every secret powerful people are desperate to keep hidden.”

For several seconds, no one spoke.

Then the System appeared.

[GUILD CREATED: THE RAVEN'S EYE.]

[Network Coverage: Capital District — 30%.]

[Passive Skill Unlocked: Information Synthesis — Level 1.]

Evelina looked at the notification.

A faint smile touched her lips.

The Raven's Eye had been born.

But before she could say anything else, the heavy iron door behind them slowly opened.

Everyone immediately turned.

A tall figure stood in the doorway.

Dark shadows curled around his boots like living smoke.

Lucien Valemont.

The five members of the Raven's Eye instantly stiffened.

Even underground, his reputation had reached them.

Lucien stepped into the room with a velvet box in one hand.

“You really don't like following rules, do you, Lady Evelina?”

Evelina didn't even blink.

She simply waved toward the others.

“Leave us.”

The brokers exchanged nervous glances before quickly filing out of the room.

Once the door closed, Evelina crossed her arms.

“I don't follow rules that get in my way.”

She looked at Lucien.

“I make my own.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“How did you find this place?”

Lucien walked toward the table.

“My shadow magic has a habit of finding interesting things.”

He placed the velvet box in front of her.

“A gift for my business partner.”

Evelina glanced at the box before opening it.

Inside was a black obsidian ring.

It shimmered faintly under the candlelight, strange runes glowing along its surface.

“Ancient northern magic,” Lucien explained.

“It protects the wearer from mind-control spells and most common poisons.”

Evelina picked it up.

Before she could put it on, Lucien's expression turned serious.

“Alice has been visiting the High Priests of the Holy Temple.”

Evelina looked at him.

“She is preparing something.”

“What?”

“A charm.”

His voice was quiet.

“One designed to influence perception.”

Evelina's eyes narrowed.

“A charm to make people love her?”

Lucien nodded.

“How pathetic.”

“She intends to use it on the Emperor during the Winter Masquerade.”

Evelina slowly slipped the ring onto her finger.

The obsidian immediately warmed against her skin.

Lucien stepped closer.

His hand lightly brushed a strand of silver hair from her shoulder.

Evelina didn't move.

“Why are you helping me?” she asked.

Her amber eyes searched his face.

“This goes beyond our agreement over the northern trade routes.”

Lucien's lips curved into a slow smile.

He reached for her gloved hand and pressed a brief kiss against the back of it.

[SYSTEM WARNING.]

[Lucien's Favorability: 55%.]

[Target Emotional State: Deepening Obsession.]

Evelina's eyes narrowed at the notification.

Lucien looked directly into her eyes.

“Because, my clever villainess…”

His voice dropped to a quiet whisper.

“Watching you conquer this empire is the most interesting thing I've ever seen.”

His smile deepened.

“And I intend to be the only man standing beside you when you finally take the crown.”

For the first time that night, Evelina didn't have an immediate answer.

She simply stared at him.

The System's warning continued to glow between them.

And somewhere deep inside her, Evelina began to wonder whether Lucien's alliance was becoming something far more dangerous than a simple business arrangement.