Chapter 300: Opening the Box
Oliver looked at her, his body still, not even flinching. “How do we take this further?” he asked, his tone calm, his eyes clear, unaffected.
Ashley took his hand and moved it toward her chest. Oliver pulled his hand back, offering a cold smile. “That trick won’t work on me.”
Ashley smiled seductively. “This isn’t a trick. You are handsome and majestic. No woman could resist you. I simply admire you.”
“Is it appropriate for a concubine to say such things?” Oliver emphasized the word “concubine.”
“Appropriate or not depends on your perspective. You’re in the court, I’m in the inner palace. Together, we could be unstoppable. I guarantee unprecedented success.”
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll report this to the King?” Oliver stared at her.
“You won’t,” Ashley laughed, her charm radiating. She leaned closer, their faces inches apart. Oliver saw the ambition in her eyes. “You’re a smart man. You won’t say anything because it would be useless. With just my face, no one would believe I’m a wicked woman. If I turn the tables and accuse you of trying to take advantage of me, do you think the King would believe you or me?”
“Ashley, you read people well. You’re indeed clever. No wonder Kamari trusted you so much,” Oliver sneered.
“Winner takes all. Kamari is dead. People must look forward. You are a man of ambition. You won’t be satisfied with your current position. And I can help you.”
“The contents of this box can also help me,” Oliver said indifferently.
“It’s not the same. This box might elevate your status, but it won’t make you second only to one person.”
“Who is this one person you speak of?” Oliver’s eyes flickered.
“That person is whoever I decide,” Ashley said arrogantly.
“You’re very confident. But right now, you can’t even control your future. Such confidence seems a bit hollow. Besides, the world has never been ruled by a woman.”
“Isn’t the Queen Mother ruling the world now? What she can do, I can do too,” Ashley said smugly, her tone laced with envy. She mused, internally, that she, the smartest woman in the world, should be the one in power. What virtues did the Queen Mother possess? If she were in the Queen Mother's position, the world would be hers.
“How can you compare to the Queen Mother?” Oliver asked, realizing her ambitions were as Isolde had suspected. Having died once, he had only witnessed events concerning Isolde and himself, knowing little of the broader political landscape. As for Ashley, he knew even less.
“So, how do you propose we take our collaboration further?” Oliver asked.
Ashley’s fingers gently twirled a strand of his hair, her charm at its peak. “The most unreserved collaboration would be for us to be together, wouldn’t it?”
Her lips moved closer, but Oliver quickly turned his head and stood, pulling her into the chair. He leaned over her, hands on the armrests, staring down.
Ashley was momentarily stunned, but seeing Oliver leaning over her, she smiled seductively. “So you don’t like dominant women.”
Oliver shook his head. “No, I just don’t like you.”
He turned away as Miniro knocked. Oliver said indifferently, “You should pack up.”
Ashley fixed her hair and adjusted her clothes, her expression calm. “Open the door.” She showed no sign of humiliation at his rejection. This was merely one of her tactics. No man could resist beauty; Oliver was no exception; he was just playing hard to get. She didn't believe he could escape her grasp. In Zloimond, she wasn’t the most beautiful woman, but her noble appearance and dignified demeanor had won the admiration of many men, including Kamari, who had made his intentions clear more than once. The most beautiful woman in the world might not attract every man, but charm could.
Miniro entered, carrying Ashley’s requested items. After Miniro left, Ashley sat down and looked at Oliver. “Put the box down.”
Oliver placed the box on the table, his eyes never leaving hers. Ashley used clay to block the keyhole, packing it tightly. Then she inserted the prepared key, squeezing out some clay. The keyhole, originally smaller than the key, expanded due to the clay, revealing hidden mechanisms. The lock clicked open.
Oliver thought it was open and reached for it, but Ashley said indifferently, “That’s just the first step. Why the rush?” Oliver fiddled with the box; it wasn’t fully open yet. She used a dagger to remove the lock, revealing eight small holes beneath. Since the lock had covered them, Oliver hadn’t noticed them before.
Ashley took a long wire and inserted it into the first hole on the left. The wire emerged from the third hole. She looped it back into the fifth hole, and the wire came out of the first hole again. Her movements were careful, but she was very skilled, even more skilled at this than Isolde. It was as if she often opened this box.
She threaded the wire back and forth, filling all the holes and looping four times. She used the dagger tip to test the wires, which were firmly in place but still slightly movable. Frustrated, she pulled the wires out and started over, repeating this three or four times until, on the last attempt, the wires didn’t budge. She then mixed the clay with tung oil.
The clay was ordinary, and Oliver doubted it would do much. But under her hands, the clay slowly blended with the wires. After a while, the clay solidified, its surface smooth from the oil.
“Do you have flint and paper?” Ashley asked.
Oliver took flint and paper from a drawer and handed them to her. Ashley struck the flint, lit the paper, and slowly heated the clay and wires. After a while, there was a soft “pop,” as if the clay had dried and cracked. After the “pop,” there were two clicking sounds. Ashley used the dagger to remove the wires and clay, discarding them. Then she turned the box to the north side, where there was a plum blossom pattern. She pried at the pattern with the dagger, and it twisted. After two turns, it clicked open. Ashley opened the iron box, facing Oliver. A strange smile flashed across her eyes.