Roxy couldn't speak. She couldn't even force a laugh.
She stared into Tanith's wide, innocent green eyes, the terrifying, absolute certainty of the System's invisible blade hanging squarely over her head, completely eclipsing the room's warmth
Several weeks passed after that.
The grueling, bone-deep exhaustion of her labor was now nothing more than a distant memory. The Queen of the Iron-Wood was practically glowing. Her stamina had returned in full force, and her steps were light, energetic, and brimming with her usual fierce authority.
But beneath her radiant exterior, a quiet, strategic rebellion was taking place.
If the System was going to remain entirely ominously silent, Roxy refused to be caught relying on its magic. The days of tapping a glowing blue holographic screen to instantly harvest a field or summon inventory items were over.
She needed the Manor to be completely, biologically self-sufficient.
