Frosty
"Frosty?" The Emperor repeated the name to himself, and his eyes lit up.
"Good! That's a fantastic name. It perfectly captures the flower's cool scent and its petals, white as fresh snow. It's like a touch of frost on a summer day. The name fits the flower, and the flower fits the name, a perfect match!"
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd.
The Imperial Grandmother clapped her hands, her smile radiant. "It's simple, but so elegant. A name like that is the only thing worthy of a flower this rare."
The Empress chimed in with a smile of her own. "That cool, sweet fragrance... smelling it makes you feel like you've been whisked away to some magical, refreshing land. All your troubles just melt away."
Consort Shu took a few deep breaths. "Even the name itself sounds relaxing. It's so much better than those stuffy, overly formal names."
Listening to the chorus of praise, Cassidy's lips twitched. All she could think was, *Okay, now where's my sponsorship money?*
"Your Majesty, Grandmother," she said, cutting in. "What about my reward? Even my sister Scarlett got something for her flower, and that thing was all show. Mine can literally make you live longer if you smell it enough!"
The Imperial Grandmother burst into a fit of laughter. "Good, good! I will absolutely reward you generously!"
She turned to a female official and commanded, "Pass on my decree: reward Princess Solana with ten thousand in gold, a bushel of East Sea pearls, fifty bolts of Damask silk, and open my private vault. Bring out that set of ruby headpieces and the emerald scepter for the Princess!"
After giving her orders, the Grandmother shot a pointed look at the Emperor.
The message was clear: *I've handled the money; you give her something with real weight.
* She was still deeply touched that the first thing Cassidy thought of when she found a flower that could prolong life was to give it to her.
To the guests, however, the reward was already staggering. A personal gift from the Imperial Grandmother, from her own private collection? That was a sign of supreme favor.
The Third Princess felt a fresh wave of resentment as she eyed the money and silk.
The ruby headpieces and the emerald scepter were treasures her grandmother cherished, and now they were going to Cassidy.
She gripped her handkerchief so tightly her knuckles went white, the fabric digging into her palms.
Cassidy's eyes, on the other hand, sparkled as the official brought out the rewards.
It was all money! She'd just plucked a few flowers from her secret garden on a whim and had no idea she could make this much pocket change.
Why was she even bothering with the Spring Breeze Tower?
At this rate, she could live off her elders for the rest of her life and be perfectly set.
She hurried to express her thanks, then had her maid pack everything away.
Watching her practically drooling over the gold, the Emperor seriously wondered if she was being starved at Ashworth Manor.
He cleared his throat, his voice carrying the full weight of his authority.
"The Empress Dowager has rewarded you from her private stash. Since you've now entered the court, I will give you something more practical. I am promoting you to Capital Inspector, a Sixth-Rank official, and I am assigning you one hundred elite soldiers to command.
I expect you to be diligent and clean up the affairs of Argent. Anyone you find involved in corruption or breaking the law, you can arrest on the spot and report directly to me."
A collective shock silenced the room. Before, "Princess Solana of the Capital Inspection Bureau" had been a joke, a hollow title the Emperor made up.
But now, he had just publicly acknowledged it as a Sixth-Rank official position and given her the authority to police the capital.
From this day forward, she wasn't just a titled noble; she held real power.
Those who had been waiting for her to make a fool of herself, maybe even planning to trip her up, felt a chill run down their spines.
Madam Vance, in particular, was sick with regret.
Not long ago, this princess had been obsessed with her son, Landon, and she'd looked down on her as a useless airhead.
Marrying her would have been a burden. But now, Cassidy had real power and a place at court.
If only they had... But there's no cure for regret.
The Third Princess was even more distraught. She could have stomached the Grandmother's gifts, but now her own father was giving Cassidy an official post. She couldn't let it stand.
"Father!" she blurted out. "Cassidy is a woman. How can she hold an official post?"
Cassidy froze. She'd expected the old fossils from the Censorate to be the first to object, not another woman, and her own sister at that. *Seriously, is she an idiot?* she thought. *If I can get a position, it paves the way for you, too, you moron.*
Before Cassidy could even open her mouth to retort, her friend, the Fourth Princess, jumped to her defense.
"What's wrong with her being a woman? As a woman, didn't she just help Father catch a corrupt official? If you're so jealous, why don't you go find Grandmother a flower that makes her live longer? Hmph!"
Protected by her sister, Cassidy was delighted. She turned to the Third Princess with a perfectly calm expression. "If you can't figure out why I can be an official, go home and look in the mirror. You'll understand."
The Fourth Princess leaned in and whispered, "Why would she understand by looking in the mirror?"
"Because she'll see her brain's running on empty," Cassidy whispered back.
The Fourth Princess shuddered. It wasn't that Cassidy had a sharp tongue; it was made of razors.
Hearing them whispering, the Third Princess shot to her feet in a rage. "Cassidy! How dare you insult me!"
Cassidy threw her hands up and leaned back, a picture of innocence. "I'm not. I didn't. Don't be ridiculous."
That provocative look sent the Third Princess over the edge. "Cassidy, you're just a wild child with no mother, how do you have the right to, "
Before she could finish, the cup in the Imperial Grandmother's hand smashed against the floor.
"Insolent girl! What did you just say!"
The Emperor's face was a thundercloud. "How dare you?"
he boomed. "You are a princess, and you say something so vile? Were you raised by wolves?! It's clear we've spoiled you rotten! You have no respect for your elders, no kindness for your family. You throw a tantrum in public and ruin this banquet for everyone. If I don't punish you today,
you'll think you can turn the world upside down! Someone, take the Third Princess to the Imperial Clan Court!"
The fire in the Emperor's eyes made the Third Princess's legs give out. The fight drained right out of her, her arrogance replaced by pure terror. Her lips trembled, and her back was drenched in cold sweat.
Cassidy curled her lip as she watched the guards drag her sister away. They say revenge is a dish best served cold, but she liked hers served right now.
*Dare to provoke me? I'll crush you. And I'll do it again next time. I'll keep doing it until you're finished.*
"Did you do that on purpose?" the Fourth Princess whispered, giving her a secret thumbs-up. "Did you want her to call you a motherless child in front of Father and Grandmother?"
Cassidy gave her a look a proud parent would give a clever child. "You're catching on."
The Fourth Princess shivered. "Oh, be serious!"
Cassidy immediately sat up straight, then put on a charming, pitiful performance for the Emperor and the Imperial Grandmother, thanking them profusely while asking for a little more manpower and money to soothe her wounded young soul, having been called a motherless child and all.
In the end, she walked away with another pile of rewards and fifty more elite soldiers, completely satisfied.
As the banquet finally drew to a close, the Emperor stood up and, when he thought no one was looking, tried to sneak the pot of 'Frosty' back to his study. But his mother, who had been waiting for this, slapped his hand away.
"Mother," he said, pouting like a little boy. "I've been so tired reviewing reports lately. This flower is just the thing to relieve my fatigue. How about I just look after it for you for a few days?"
The Imperial Grandmother rolled her eyes at him and had Nanny Cole quickly carry the flower away. "If this flower disappears, I'm afraid my old headaches will return. If you're so tired, Your Majesty, there are plenty of consorts in the harem who would be more than willing to ease your fatigue."
With that, she let Nanny Cole help her up and swept back toward her palace.