“Lou.”

For once, Maxine doesn’t rush to meet us the moment we pull up to the large store. A servant guides us to her office. Or, more aptly, the office she currently inhabits. The rich furnishings in deep brown and burgundy don’t match her taste at all. Neither does the drink tray with a glass bottle filled halfway with amber liquid and two glasses. The only thing that fits is the gold banner with a white dove in flight hanging behind her between two windows.

“Lou.” She flashes a tired smile, the faintest of dark bags showing under her eyes. I can almost see the tension in her shoulders as she waves for me to take a seat. I ignore her, letting Geneva have it as I circle around the large desk. She tries to stand up but I stop her with a hand on her shoulder.

“Hey, Max,” I say as I move behind her, eyeing her back critically. “How’s it been?”

“Horrible,” she groans. “My cousin left me with quite a mess. If I’d gotten a look at his accounts before the fiasco with the prince, he would have been evicted from this store long ago. His ledgers look like a child’s mathematics homework.” She scoffs, tossing her head.

“Mm, we kind of left you holding the knife,” I mumble as my fingers begin kneading her shoulders. We had our own problems to deal with. The Hall conducted a full investigation into the affair, where we were questioned multiple times. Then the crown investigated. Thankfully, Dunwayne intervened, not taking kindly to the royal family throwing their weight around, but we were still asked to cooperate. Then of course I had to deal with the tension amongst the acolytes. Specifically, those of the traditionalist faction and Prince Samuel’s staunch supporters.

Still, I never walked around with blocks of stone masquerading as my shoulders like our favorite merchant. Seriously, it feels like I’m trying to move hardened clay rather than flesh. She groans as my thumbs press into the muscles, her ears reddening a moment later. “Ah…”

I ignore her obvious embarrassment. After all, she’s clearly enjoying it as she hasn’t pushed me away ye and I need practice. “I didn’t expect it to be keeping you up at night. I thought you Guiness lived and breathed intrigue.”

Maxine scoffs. “If it were just about the store, I could handle it. The problem is the future. Despite scrambling to contain the current mess that is the Grand Market location, my father doesn’t think me fit to run a store myself.” I can’t see her frown but the bitterness in her tone gives me a good idea about the expression she’s making. “As such, a new manager will be arriving soon.”

“Hoh? Any ideas?”

“After the recent debacle, he’ll want it in capable hands. Which means one of my siblings.” The bitterness transforms into outright contempt.

“Don’t get along then?”

“It’s hard to like the people you are actively competing against. We were pitted against each other from the beginning. One of them coming means I lose.”

I grunt in acknowledgment of her words, my hands moving to the middle of her back. She sucks in a sharp breath as her spine pops before sagging in relief. “Any idea which sibling it will be?”

“No.”

“You’re small-time in your family, huh?” She stiffens and I smack her shoulders. “Relax, I’m just trying to get an understanding of the situation.”

She does relax. “My father has four sons and eight daughters. That’s only counting the children from his wife and recognized mistresses. There’s no counting the bastards that man has sired because of his inability to resist a pretty face.”

She tries to look at me but I stop her with a gentle hand. “I’m the seventh daughter, born from his wife. Now, my father caters to my mother’s children to appease her. That barely gives me an advantage as I’ve got three older siblings in the same boat. I’m the eleventh child overall. Forget the pie. The crumbs, the platter, hell, the damn chef who cooked the thing, have already been claimed.”

She sighs. “Don’t be fooled. As a Guiness daughter, I’m entitled to a life of luxury but if I want anything else, to become anything else but my father’s trophy, I have to fight tooth and nail for the smallest scraps.”

I feel for her. Succession battles can get nasty. Can’t imagine the madness of having a dozen competitors involved. And it sounds like bastards pop out of nowhere to throw their own hats into the ring periodically. “If it’s so bad, why don’t you strike out on your own?”

“I’ve thought about it.”

“Oh?” Wasn’t expecting that.

“Mm. More times that you can imagine.” She arches as I shift my attention to her lower back. “However, if there is one thing my father despises as much as the unappealing, it is competition. Should I dare strike out from the Guiness Company, he’d make a point of strangling any enterprise before it can get off the ground. There’s also the option of allying myself to one of father’s competitors, but no one would welcome me without the expectation that I’m bringing Guiness secrets with me.”

I nod. “Going out on your own doesn’t mean you want to go against your father.”

“Then there’s the option of not going into the merchant business. A bevy of tutors left me with a variety of skills. I can, well. I’m a decent enough painter. Good enough for my father not to ban me from the art, which he’s done to my second brother. I could make a living visiting different estates to do portraits and painting landscapes when I get bored with the excessive etiquette.”

“Sounds great.” Sounds like the kind of life I wished for not too long ago. Which makes me think I have a good idea why she won’t do it. “But you don’t want an easy life.” I move my hands up her back, pressing my thumbs into her neck. She lets out a squeak as her head lolls forward. “You have potential and you want to realize it.”

“Silly, isn’t it?” she mumbles, voice weak. “I can do nothing and live a life many people dream about. Yet, I torture myself seeking the approval of the living embodiment of greed. They’ve tried to kill me, you know. People from my siblings’ factions trying to curry favor. And what do I have to show for it? Nothing. Not even a single store.”

I lean her back against the chair, clicking my tongue as I stare at her dark hair tied in a messy ponytail. I wish I had a comb. I have to make do with my fingers as I undo the tie and gently rake through the dark tresses. A little greasier than I expected. She really hasn’t been taking care of herself properly. “So, what are you going to do about it?”

“What can I do? It’s like trying to move a mountain.”

“A strong enough earth caster can. A dragon could burn it down.”

“Comparing me to a dragon isn’t helpful.”

“Why not? It’s not impossible.” My fingers massage her scalp. “I understand though. Trying to do the impossible without the talent is a herculean task. Which is why—”

I remove my hands. After a while, she looks over her shoulder at me, eyes lidded with relaxation but a small frown on her face. I poke the small wrinkle between her brows until it goes away. “When you’re out of your depth, ask for help, idiot.”

She scowls but the expression collapses when I raise a teasing finger, a hand shielding her face. “And who would be willing to risk taking on my father?” she asks, voice full of doubt…but also a little hope.

I swiftly dodge that gaze. I like you, Max, but not that much.

“See, you’re going too far. I was thinking about getting a few people with good judgment together to brainstorm ideas.” I think her biggest problem is she can’t imagine a future for herself without the Guiness family. Understandable if she were the eldest child and destined to inherit the empire but for someone on the bottom of the familial ladder, that dream is nothing but a chain holding her back. “Think about it. In the meantime, we’ve got some requests. I need a space, something like a warehouse. Doesn’t have to be here in the Hall.”

“What for? Not that I’m not curious, but I want to make sure the space is suitable.”

“It doesn’t need to be anything but big and private.”

“I’ll have one of the runners set it up immediately.”

“Good. That means you’re free to come shopping with us.”

Maxine sighs. “I still have work to do—”

“Max, your work is killing you. Geo, tell her the thing you told me about stress.”

“It’s true, Miss Guiness.” The succubus smiles shyly. “Too much stress can cause headaches, pain, and weaken the body.”

“And you’ll go bald,” I add, snickering as a hand reaches up to touch her hair. “Like any good friend, I’m concerned for your safety.”

“Is that what the massage was for?”

“No need to thank me.” I grin as she tries to hide her disappointment. I wonder if she’s disappointed because she has less influence over me or because she hoped I was flirting with her? “Come on. I’m picking out a gift for Kii and it has to be perfect. Think of it as doing me a favor.”

“Ah, well. If you insist…” Her voice is reluctant but anyone can see how relieved she is as she stands up.

“Great.”