Jackpot! Caerina had struck it lucky again today. The Emperor was gifting her a new territory. What's more, it was a broad expanse that no one else had in their care.
Caerina had once heard tales of the Theressum province. It had been, in its heyday, an area of unparalleled prosperity. Yet, events from ten years ago had left it neglected and forsaken.
The undead had invaded Theressum, extinguishing its every inhabitant. Now, it was overgrown with wild plants and towering trees, devoid of life, save as a den for wild beasts.
"This is the Theressum territory. Why bestow such a desolate place upon Caerina? It's impossible for her to manage it," Heston objected, discontent with the Emperor's decision.
"However, I believe Miss Navre is fully capable of managing it. Isn't that right, Miss? Your eyes candidly convey how earnestly you desire this territory, do they not?"
Caught off guard, Caerina was uncertain of what to say. Yet indeed, she had been seeking this very land for the foundation of her future company.
"Are you serious, Your Majesty?" Caerina verified with Emperor Joubert.
"Absolutely. This is a fitting compensation, isn't it? Moreover, the empire has neglected this land for too long because no one else could handle it."
Caerina took the deed of ownership transfer from Joubert's hands. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation as she gazed upon the document.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will manage this territory well. You can await joyous tidings from me."
On that note, the Emperor concluded his meeting with Caerina and Heston. The young woman had secured something monumental. Hereafter, Caerina would be immersed in exhilarating business ventures.
"Your Majesty, why have you entrusted that region to Miss Navre?" Faron inquired.
"I have a good hunch about it. You know my intuitions are seldom astray. Perhaps under her hand, Theressum might flourish anew."
Meanwhile, Heston walked alongside Caerina through the palace corridors. He abhorred seeing his ex-wife revel in happiness after their divorce. He wished she would lament their parting longer, yet what he witnessed was quite the opposite.
"Don't get too comfortable. I assure you, that territory will only deteriorate in your hands," Heston taunted.
"I couldn't care less. Please, don't envy my happiness. Concern yourself with your peasant bride-to-be," Caerina retorted, striking a nerve in Heston.
"I'm sure you're merely pretending to hide your sorrow. It's impossible for you to forget me so easily."
Caerina halted mid-stride, slowly turning, and looked at Heston with revulsion.
"You sicken me. I feel nothing for you anymore. Focus on your bride. I'm certainly not lowering myself to compete with peasants for a man as unsightly as you."
Caerina resumed her walk, leaving behind a fuming Heston who bristled at her scorn.
"Unsightly? I'm considered one of the handsomest men in the Eusebio Empire. How dare you call me ugly!" Heston retorted loudly.
"A man's looks are for a lady's eye to judge. By my gaze, you're unattractive and not my type," Caerina declared with a mocking smile, hurrying away before Heston exploded in anger. She said nothing amiss; she indeed had her own type of man.
'Insufferable woman! Just you wait, I'll have my revenge for this insult.'
Caerina quickly boarded her carriage, eager to return home with good news for her family. Midway through her journey, however, the carriage came to a halt.
"My lady, I apologize, but it seems we need to turn back," the coachman said.
"What? Why is that?"
Caerina opened the carriage window to determine the cause of the delay.
"A horde of undead has appeared at the end of the road, seemingly heading this way."
The coachman trembled as he relayed the current predicament to Caerina, fearing an impending attack by the undead.
"Undead? I must confront them myself. Otherwise, it's likely they will attack and kill me."
Without hesitation, Caerina alighted from the carriage. She narrowed her eyes to peer down the road.
"Go on without me. Let me handle this," she instructed the coachman.
"I cannot leave you alone—"
"Leave now! Do not worry for me!"
The coachman had no choice but to turn the carriage around and flee, leaving Caerina alone on the roadside flanked by cliffs.
A group of undead, resembling long-deceased humans, charged towards Caerina. They were creatures sensitive to the scent of the living, so upon sighting a human, they'd relentlessly pursue their prey.
"I've learned a little from my brother about how to fight using aura. I'm unsure of its success, but I must try," she murmured to herself.
A tranquil white aura enveloped Caerina. As the undead neared, she unleashed her attack, her fingers dancing through the air, manipulating the aura.
Like a wisp of white smoke, her aura throttled the undead. Slowly, it dried and extinguished their undead bodies within moments.
'Have I succeeded in killing them? So this is what it feels like to wield aura against the undead. I'm unaccustomed, but I'm confident that with time, I'll grow more proficient, especially since every business journey is bound to encounter such assailants,' Caerina thought.
Her hand movements grew more assured with the aura, and within fifteen minutes, Caerina had cleared the obstructions from her path.
As she breathed a sigh of relief, a chill breeze whistled by her face, carrying a whispered 'thank you' to her ears.
Caerina jerked in surprise. Unsure of the voice's origin, she searched but found nothing save the corpses of the undead.
'Maybe I'm overthinking, leading to hallucinations,' she mumbled to herself.
But as Caerina prepared to depart from the cliffside, she failed to notice the ground beneath her splinter and fracture. Before she could react, the earth gave way, and down she fell.
"Eh? What? I'm falling?"
Caerina plummeted down the steep cliffside towards a rugged and jagged surface below. If her body were to land, it could very likely shatter against the rocks.
"Damn it! Am I to die again? I haven't even started anything."
Meanwhile, at the Marquess Navre's residence, tranquility prevailed. Kledson and Sara spent their day leisurely sipping tea.
"Why hasn't Caerina returned yet?" Sara expressed concern.
"Perhaps the Emperor had a great deal to discuss with her. Worry not, she'll return home safely," Kledson sought to soothe Sara's worry.
Suddenly, a knight came rushing in with alarming news.
"Sir, Madam, Miss Caerina..." The knight was out of breath, struggling to convey the tidings.
"What about Caerina?" The couple pivoted their attention towards the knight.
"Miss Caerina fell from a cliff while battling the undead!"
The knight's report seemed to freeze the hearts of Kledson and Sara.
"What did you say? Caerina fell from a cliff?"
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