News of the joint event with Voila, Alodan, and the Alodan Warriors spread like wildfire, taking faster to noble society than the rumors of the Valen King. Ruena didn't have to worry about how to invite everyone as they contacted her first, eager to get their hands on an invitation. While she found their behavior shameless, she couldn't deny it was convenient for her current situation. Her only dilemma was whether or not to invite Velcorna.

  It wasn't just a matter of whether or not she wanted her there. Ruena needed to consider how Velcorna could try to take advantage of either situation. If she was invited, she could easily see her using her influence as the current duchess to try to claim all the credit Alodan had for the venture for herself. What worried Ruena was that she couldn't guess what that woman would do if she was denied an invitation. She might barge in and cause a scene. That would cause problems, but it seemed too simplistic. Knowing Velcorna, she would probably plot something far more troublesome.

  After considering her options, Ruena decided to invite her, after all. If Velcorna had an invitation it could prove she is a guest not one of the organizers. Not only that, it was best to keep a close eye on her so she could clean up any messes before they got out of hand. Many of the letters she had received had made countless mentions of her as well. She could turn genuinely good people against her if she was seen as a ruthless daughter who would scorn her own mother.

  Ruena took special care writing this invitation so that it was all formality without a speck of personal touch. Formality was all she could spare for the vile woman who stole everything from her and turned Alodan into her own personal stepping stone. Once all of the invitations were sorted and sent, Soral reminded her that it was time for yet another battle.

  "What outfits should we wear this time?" he asked, "We should design something especially for the occasion."

  “I would have a better idea of how to answer that if I knew what kind of resort you created,” Ruena pointed out.

  Soral considered for a few moments. “Alright,” he caved, “I based it off of the cottage you took me to when we first met. The one in Elgrove. The beautiful town that was one with the forest had a unique charm to it that people in the city won’t be familiar with. Of course, I did have to contain it quite a bit and add some unnatural elements. Forest living isn’t for everyone, but I did my best to make sure my forest will be.”

  She hadn’t expected Soral to be quite so sentimental. A small town in the Elgrove Kingdom called Evergreen was where everything had begun, as well as the very place the Black Wolf had cast them out from when he abandoned them. Still, as long as there were no castle ruins or faerutil, this resort would be something completely different.

  “About that,” Soral began a bit sheepishly, responding to her thoughts, “I got a bit carried away. There is a castle but I definitely wouldn’t say it is in ruins. I also planted some special trees Mr. Dehd Lee discovered with Howler in a secret greenhouse.”

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  Sometimes Ruena wondered if it was possible for Soral to open his mouth without dropping bombshells. Mr. Dehd Lee was one of his disguises he used when he bent time. Ruena had only met him once or twice but whenever he was in this disguise Soral was truly the epitome of a mad scientist obsessed with research on dangerous plantlife.

  “How about we go with green, then?” Ruena asked, “It might blend with the trees but it wouldn’t be good to look like we are trying to stand out too much.”

  Soral grinned, already brimming with ideas. “Of course! I could make us look like proper forest fairies! Since the resort has a more natural feel to it, I could try to apply that to the clothing design as well. We will have matching outfits, of course. Rosalie asked me to take care of hers as well.”

  “I will trust your judgement,” Ruena told him, more than happy to leave the fashion part of things in his capable hands.

  The day of the event came quickly, and Ruena witnessed the magnitude of Soral’s resort for the first time. It was a good thing she had come early or the quests would have seen her awestruck reaction. She recalled Grant’s words about Soral’s unimaginable magic as she witnessed the impossible sight before her.

  Soral had not built a castle resort. He had grown it. Every tree, vine, and bush was meticulously placed to form each part of the structure and the walls that surrounded it. Even the webbing in the cracked stone that lines the paths felt like it was alive. Now that she had seen it herself, Ruena had to disagree on one point. This was nothing like Evergreen. Compared to this, Evergreen just had a few more trees than other towns.

  “So, what do you think?” Soral asked eagerly, “I came up with the idea, but when I tried it on my own it just looked messy. Grant is the one who polished my idea into this masterpiece.”

  “I can see why you call him a genius,” Ruena admitted, “Even if you had told me your idea, I would never have been able to imagine something of this magnitude.”

  “Wait until you see the garden I set aside as the main venue,” Soral told her proudly, “I made sure the nobles could see all the rare and precious trees I have, but they won’t be able to get to any of them. Like a little teaser.”

  “And to have a chance of seeing more, they will have to stay at the resort?’ Ruena guessed.

  Soral chuckled with a wicked smirk. “Actually, I was hoping they would staff it for me. Spies are usually excellent workers so they won’t be suspected. It’s not like any of them could manage to get past my barriers.”

  “You really are crazy,” Ruena sighed, but she couldn’t even deny his words. She wasn’t even sure if Crystal would be able to break through any of Soral’s magic.

  “I will be participating in this event as both a king and a businessman,” Soral replied, completely unbothered, “and in both of those roles, I need to take advantage of those who are so eager to use me. That way, we can all be happy.”

  Ruena doubted anyone else thought that was what taking advantage of others entailed, but Soral had always had a unique way with people. With his charisma, she wondered how long it would take him to turn those future spies into true loyal employees. Before that, this event would have to be a success.