Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 393: What can a month bring(2)

Chapter 393: What can a month bring(2)

As Jasmine listened to Alpheo's explanation, she tilted her head slightly, her expression thoughtful. Of course, she didn't know the intricacies of trade or the lives of common folk. Growing up in the palace, her world had been one of luxury and privilege, far removed from the struggles of those born outside noble bloodlines. For her, the low-born had always been an abstract concept—people who lived their lives, paid their taxes, and occasionally took up arms when summoned by their betters.

It wasn't indifference that kept her detached, though. On the contrary, she harbored a quiet detatched interest with those who lived so differently from her. Of course that was only secondory compaired to what intrigued her most, which was Alpheo, who in his rare moments of candor, would share glimpses of his life before entering her father's service.

Whenever he opened up, she would listen with rapt attention, ears keen for any details about the enigmatic man she had married. To Jasmine, Alpheo was a puzzle—a figure shrouded in mystery. He had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, a man of no noble lineage, and in the span of a single year, he had transformed their kingdom's fortunes. Under his guidance, their country had risen to a regional prominence, a feat that nor Jasmine and nor her father had never dared to dream of achieving alone.

Of course, much of this newfound stature rested on the foundation of imperial support, but that hardly diminished Alpheo's accomplishment in her eyes.