"The imperial family has the power and reach. But it simply isn't them."
The masked woman answered promptly. She had expected me to ask this.
Time to see how intelligent this woman was.
"I'm aware that the princes and princesses are aligning themselves with the Great Houses, my lady. In that case, your argument about the seven families' motives can be disregarded since they could just be doing the imperial blood's bidding."
The masked woman shook her head after taking another sip of her tea.
"I know the imperial family isn't involved in this transaction because of the simple fact of the Terisa Company."
"And what fact that would be, my lady?"
"That Terisa is a Damai-based establishment. A region with neutral standing in the empire's political world."
She said and continued with her explanation.
"Tsatu Empire possessed the most complex noble societies in the world. Within the realm of Tsatu's covert political war, neutral regions such as Damai are the frontlines.
"Regions like Damai are where the nobles watch out for their enemy's movements and for their allies'. One could discover they are being betrayed and ambushed by observing what an outlander noble was doing in a neutral zone.
"The imperial family was the most aware of this fact since they could not be seen favoring one faction in the empire. The neutral zones are sacred grounds to them.
"The princes and princesses did their best to avoid dealing with anything related to a neutral zone. Since they did not want to attract their enemies' attention or their allies'.
"I'm not saying they never tread the neutral zones. But they always did it with careful planning.
"This tactic of winning Baron Elgar's favor using a company of a neutral zone is something the imperial family would never do. Since it is a known secret that each of the imperial family member is leaning to a faction in the empire.
"Using a neutral zone company simply to curry favor with a Councilor of the Tower of Circle would only entice the imperial family members' enemies and suspicions from their allies."
Such insight and awareness!
This woman was truly something.
I thought this day would never come again.
But I was impressed once more.
If my guess about her identity was correct, it should not be a surprise.
"You've made your point about the imperial family. But you still haven't told me how you connected Terisa to me."
I told her.
The masked woman simply shrugged.
"Once the Seven Great Houses and the imperial family were ruled out, it was quite simple from there on, Miss Caramille."
She took another sip and continued.
"Clearly the Terisa Company could not procure the Mannalite on their own, but they did anyway. So I investigated other companies connected to Terisa. The Camon Company and a dozen more establishments, including that Horgis Company the Baron Fiuri was interested in. I also managed to find another chain of establishments connected to Sardu Company."
So she did hear quite a lot from my conversation with the fool.
Still, it was impressive that this woman managed to make all those connections.
I meant for them to be discovered. But I did not make the trails easy to be seen.
"And again, why would those companies lead you to me?"
I asked her.
"On the surface, each of those companies seemed to be acting for themselves, Miss Caramille. And even when they seem to be working together, they at least were seen working against the other chain of establishments."
The masked woman replied.
She continued with another shrug and a smile on her face.
"But once you look at the skirmishes through a bigger lens, you can tell the workings of all of the companies were too...organized. As if they were orchestrated. Like watching a play.
"One side would win the skirmish this spring. The other side would win the one in the summer. If one side won two seasons in a row, then the other would take their wins on the latter half of the cycle.
"And conveniently, when a foreign third party entered the battlefield, the two sides instantly worked together in tandem to crush their common foe. They worked so well that it was hard to believe they were not one side initially."
Most of my rivals hardly posed a challenge that I did not bother to be subtle about crushing them.
They would not even realize what I was doing even when I was being blatant.
But apparently this woman managed to spot that error of mine.
"I still haven't heard how does this observation led back to me."
I told her.
"Because of that line of thinking, Miss Caramille, I decided to look into the figureheads of each company. Someone simply had to be in charge of all these establishments despite how they presented their relations."
She said.
"And why did you think I was the one in charge of them?"
I asked again.
The woman smiled at me this time.
"Miss Caramille, as the head of the merchant association, you were able to install merchants with fabricated identities to proxy companies of your own making. No one would suspect you given the perfect disguise you had put up for yourself."
It took all I had to remain composed and expressionless.
This woman was spot on!
But was she bluffing or did she actually know of this as a definite fact?
"Do you have any proof of your claims?"
"If you'd like, I'll be happy to send for Herin Motigin to join us for tea."
I chuckled at her words.
Checkmate. That was it.
Herin Motigin was a senior clerk in the family registry department in Seraphold.
I used his help to forge identities for my puppets that would run my companies for me.
Of all the things I kept secret, our relation was the one I safeguarded the most.
Only one other woman managed to discover this hidden truth.
And after we were acquainted, the woman made Herin Motigin swear to secrecy about our dealings.
Only under certain conditions that Herin was allowed to reveal his secret. If even one condition was not fulfilled, then Herin's mouth shall remain sealed, even to his death.
The first would be when someone asked Herin directly about the specific forged documents I made him create.
The second would be when that someone actually made a connection between Herin and I.
The third and the most important condition would be the identity of that someone.
I rose from my chair and performed a deep curtsy.
"It is a great honor to make your acquaintance, Lady Serafina. Jeanine Caramille, at your service."
The Zeref nobility smiled and nodded to me.
"You disappointed me, Miss Caramille. I've been dropping hints. I expected you to figure out my identity sooner."
She finally removed her mask and flipped back her cowl. Revealing her flowing black hair and beautiful face adorned with ocean-blue eyes.
Dear Goddesses, she really was the spitting image of her mother.
And not just her looks, the way she talked as well.
This took me back when Marla first entered my shop carrying the forged documents Herin made for me.
Back then, I also prodded her to reveal how she discovered me.
It was then that I realized how intelligent the late matriarch was.
When she realized what I had been doing to stave off hostile outlander merchants from Damai, Marla helped me safeguard my secret and employed me to aid her in her duties to the Zeref Household.
When she died years ago in that siege, I felt so abandoned and alone. Like a knight losing her lord.
She was the only one I could look up to. She was the only one I would truly obey to. She was the only one I would pledge my allegiance to.
After she passed, I was afraid that my talent would only go collecting dust in this old clothing shop of mine.
Perhaps I would not have to endure such fate after all.
"I doubt you're here to arrest me for my crime."
Lady Serafina smiled amusedly upon my words as she took another sip of her tea.
"That would be foolish, Miss Caramille. You will keep doing what you're doing. But I wish to be compensated for keeping my lips sealed about your secret."
Just like Marla said. Word for word.
Titles and wealth did not really impress me.
I did not really care that she was a Zeref heiress.
I was more interested to the fact that she was Marla's daughter and she was acting quite like the late matriarch.
Intriguing woman, this Lady Serafina.
But just how intriguing?
"What do you require from me, my lady?"
I asked as I poured more tea to her Sherefin mug.
Lady Serafina turned her eyes to the window behind my desk.
Her gaze turned distant. Her face became more solemn and serious.
I had seen that look before. It was the same as Marla's before she departed to that siege which claimed her life.
"Our world is heading for war, Miss Caramille."
She said with her usual composed voice.
With unchanging expression, she continued.
"Monsters are invading our land more frequently than ever. The worst thing is, they started to succeed."
I heard of this from my contacts all across the empire and even beyond.
Towns and cities besieged by armies of monsters.
Mysterious ruins appearing all over. Nobody knew what was inside them since impenetrable barriers were protecting the sites.
There were whispers we were approaching the end of time.
It was impossible.
Time was endless. The Eternal Throne would stand forever.
Would it?
"We can't let them win."
Lady Serafina's words distracted me from my dread.
Her calm and cool eyes were now raging with determination.
She turned her face to me again.
"I mean it, Miss Caramille. We're not going to let the monsters win this war. And you WILL help me achieve it."
Dear Goddesses…
Not even Marla was this intense.
The late matriarch was calm like an undisturbed bottomless pond.
This Lady Serafina perfectly portrayed such image earlier.
But now…
She was like a raging ocean of fire.
Overwhelming. Uncontainable.
Her great determination threatened to sweep me under its currents. I could not help myself to obey what she asked of me.
No.
I wanted to obey her. I wanted to do what she told me. Because I believed in her.
Intriguing.
Definitely intriguing, this noblewoman.
"How can I help you, my lady?"
I offered my service and allegiance.
She turned to the crystal on the table.
"You can begin helping me by telling how you acquired this Mannalite. I would like to know the extent of your connections."
I nodded to her and returned to my seat.
"I used fourteen different contacts to acquire and deliver this Mannalite from Tsahanam to Baron Elgar. But the most important one would be my agent in the Tower of Circle…"
Indeed.
This Lady Serafina I could serve.
No one had ever intrigued me as her.
I looked forward to the excitement she would bring to my life.
I better get rid of that fool Fiuri so I could have more time serving Lady Serafina.
Yes. Time to get my hands dirty.