Her Graceful War Song (Carissa Sinclair) novel Chapter 684

Of course, Caspian had no idea that Ava was interested in him. If he had been that astute and clever, he would have held a position far beyond that of a mere junior official in the Ministry of Infrastructure.

When he returned home, everyone was waiting for him to eat. He handed the ravioli to a servant, instructing them to boil it quickly so everyone could enjoy some.

"I was wondering why you were so late. Was it because you went to buy some ravioli? Look at you—you've got your wife on your mind and have forgotten all about your mom. You left her hungry and waiting for you," Zoey teased.

Caspian quickly apologized, but feeling a bit defensive, he explained, "I could have been home earlier, but Harold was so slow. Plus, Ms. Weaver cut in line. She claimed she was starving and asked me to let her and her servant go first. That's why I was delayed."

"Ms. Weaver?" Zoey repeated curiously, raising an eyebrow.

She knew her brother-in-law well—he usually didn't associate with women. Who was this lady and why was she suddenly in the picture?

She pressed for more details, asking, "Who is she?"

"The one who runs a coffee shop. She delivered coffee when Lord Snyder was hosting a banquet, and he introduced us. I had Charles buy coffee beans from her before. It's the one I brought home a few days ago."

Luna chimed in, "The coffee's not bad. I've tried it. But it is a bit pricey."

Being the daughter of a merchant, Luna was quite sensitive to the value of goods, though she didn't notice much else.

Zoey asked for the name of Ava's shop and jotted it down, then said, "Alright, let's eat. Mother must be starving."

Given Viola's situation, Evelyn had been ill recently and was just starting to recover. Her appetite was still delicate, but ravioli was perfect for her now. Once it was served, she managed to eat most of her bowl.

"Harold's ravioli is really delicious. If there are any leftovers, don't cook them. Just keep them for breakfast tomorrow," said Evelyn.

"It won't taste as good tomorrow, Mother. Let the servants have whatever you can't finish," Luna suggested. "I'll wake up early tomorrow and make you some millet porridge."

"Alright."

Evelyn seemed a bit distracted as she set down her cutlery and wiped her mouth with a handkerchief. A servant came by with water for her to wash her hands.

Bernard hesitated, then said, "We can certainly try, but we might not be able to uncover anything. The owner has never shown themselves at the coffee house. It's always been managed by the shopkeeper. I suspect the owner might be some influential person behind the scenes."

Zoey understood this scenario all too well. During Augustus' reign, strict orders had repeatedly been issued to prohibit nobles and officials of the fourth rank and above from engaging in business. At that time, the court had been purged, allowing only the ownership of properties for rental purposes, but prohibiting any direct involvement in business.

During Sigmund's reign, the court had loosened its restrictions somewhat as influential families grew powerful and united. However, even then, it wasn't something done openly. If any of them wanted to engage in business, they had to entrust it to a trusted family servant while hiring a shopkeeper from outside to run the shop.

Such situations weren't uncommon. Even the Earl of Silverstone's family had similar arrangements.

Of course, owning property was allowed—like buying a shop to collect rent or purchasing land for farming, planting, or livestock. That wasn't restricted. Now that the new king had only been on the throne for a few years, he turned a blind eye to these matters. He wouldn't touch the interests of the noble families since his foundation was still unsteady.

After pondering for a moment, Zoey said, "If that's the case, we might not be able to uncover anything, or we could find something incriminating against someone else. Just drop it. I want strict orders issued throughout the household—absolutely no private interactions with any servants of noble families."

"Yes, Madam Zoey!"

As for her younger brother-in-law, Zoey felt she needed to give him a few reminders as well.