As Jade continued to plot, next came House Ashstone.
The most indomitable pillar of Haynes—the empire's heartbeat. And so, naturally, Jade chose them as her next prey. She didn't care that they were innocent. No, to her, innocence was just a luxury afforded to those who hadn't been torn apart yet. The entire empire had failed her once, and in her eyes, all of it deserved to rot. Even if the Ashstones hadn't raised a hand against her, they had still let it happen. Their silence had been loud.
Besides, they were powerful. Revered. The most influential noble house. Of course, they would've been part of the circle that had pushed Edgar to marry a foreign princess for alliance and power.
So she dug in her claws, whispering venom into Edgar's ears like a serpent in the dark. He was paranoid and insecure enough to believe it.
