THE carriage halted before the Imperial Library, and Thalia stepped out, her gaze scanning around the area. Lady Eliza stood at the center of attention, surrounded by several ladies engaged in lively conversation. It seemed they had already chosen to collaborate with her, much like the characters in the mystery novels Thalia had often read — where people clung to the strongest figure in hopes of securing their own survival. Yet such notions belonged only to fiction. In reality, she knew, the surest way to avoid betrayal was to rely on no one but herself.
None of the ladies knew what the next challenge would be, yet Thalia hinted that wisdom would play a crucial role in this selection. She herself was unprepared for what lay ahead, but if she were to fail, she thought, it would only be a r
