Coldsnap: The Billionaire Alpha's Fated Pregnant Princess (GL)-Chapter 456 - Charm Must Be Adaptable In A Chaos Of Covens

Dr. Michelle Lifton moved like I expected. As someone who had spent their decades hunched over microscopes and petri dishes. I was told she was fifty-nine in a month’s time, with *dyed* gray hair because she felt more respected that way than her still natural blonde.

Her hair is cropped short and practical, much more than my Kyrie’s - but not as much as the chicken farmer sticking her knuckles into her own eye socket. A look I understood as the exasperation of an individual who had told another *not* to make a scene.

But I knew she would, so her words didn’t shock me in the slightest. Nor would I possibly be overly defensive at this point. I’ve been dealing with scholars and mystics alike judging me for my vanity for thirty one years.

"The folly of youth may be in their impetuous decisions, but the wisdom of age only comes after parsing regrets in hindsight. Besides, I am eight years older in soul than what it says on my forged driver’s license. Chai?"

Her eyes swept the room again after I answered. Landing on the bundle of blankets, then the rolling monitor stand I’d brought up from my container. It was clear from the white screen with the words [Discussion Points] at the top of the large screen that I hadn’t asked them to come to waste time.

"Cinnamon disagrees with me, I’m afraid. No thank you."

She found a seat despite her sharp-toned words. Though she did pull out a facemask from somewhere and a set of nitrile gloves. Before she snapped up one of the medjool dates on the platter.

"How about you then, Dr. Mei?"

The small statured woman nodded before walking closer. Her black hair had streaks of silvering at her temples and her hands held calluses one might not normally associate with a doctorate holder.

Both women were in fields of science related to life. The touchy stickler making uncomfortably pleased noises as she enjoyed the sweet, dried fruit was a mycologist and the one whose gaze lingered uncomfortably toward my son held a degree in botany.

> Funga lover and flora lover. How useful in an evercold, winterscape apocalypse! <

I really wasn’t trying to be sarcastic, though it came off that way in my mindscape. Probably because there was an expression I couldn’t quite parse putting me on edge as the person I tried handing the cup to stared at Asha.

"Please, sit. I can introduce you to my child later if he wakes up. I’ve prepared enough treats for everyone - and if you need anything more, do not hesitate to inform me."

"You really are trying to win us over, hm?"

Martha teased while sitting down, the last of their group. Calmly, I poured my own cup of warm spice tea before joining them. With index and pinky tracing over the raised up ears of the fox motif mug, all but making the little fox hand gesture as I pretended to fidget.

> Yes, pretended. I’m not nervous about holding a political court with lots of elders at all. Truly. <

"I’d rather we speak as equals around a table here today than like strangers."

"Equals."

The tone carried skepticism as the mask wearing elder eyed another date. I’d only put out enough for one for each of us, because I read they can be a bit distressing for humans to overconsume. Looks like that was the right call!

Part of me files away that she might be bought with sweets, even as the rest of me eases into the familiar ground of being underestimated.

"I prefer to think of it as such. All of you may be knowledgeable in your fields. In your respective focuses for what passes as magic in this world."

"Not originating from the same world already sets us at odds in the equation."

"Michelle..."

I only smirk at how it is playing out. While Martha seems to think she isn’t letting me speak my mind enough, I actually value such a back and forth. If someone is genuinely providing counterpoints to your argument, it means they are *listening* to it.

And there is great value in being heard, even if you ultimately do not change the mind of the one you debated with. It’s a bit of a dance, where each side learns the steps the other will make.

> Clarifying your opposition is as important as clarifying your allies. <

"Surely you could look at me as a practitioner of a foreign method, no different than if you were dealing with another... Eastern style of mystic arts. From what I understand, there are already some grand divides in how each framework operates." 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"This is true. I once spent a summer at a ranch, comparing notes with a traveling, modern Onmyōji."

A positive word from Webber that, from anyone else - or in my kingdom’s circumstances, I would consider an attempt to curry a favor from me. Well timed support is a currency all its own to royalty and nobility.

"Didn’t he sell you a vase that was supposed to bring you fortune? You were scammed, Web."

Quietly, an accented voice spoke up before wiping her face, froth having spread across the petite older woman’s upper lip. She tried to take a quick sip of the drink I’d prepared and lost.

Martha suppressed a laugh before waving her hand in a little gesture that I took as asking Dr. Sue Mei to ease off. The document on her was right, when she speaks she goes right to the heart of a matter!

"He did. And I know. Watched him pitch the exact same thing to pay off his bar tab a month later. Still kept my keys in it by the door before all this started."

"So you admit to gullibility but want us to accept that you have a good feeling this time?"

One woman backed off, but the other stickler went in to finish the job. While picking up and sniffing at one of the honey candies on the platter. Then a piece of chocolate. And the star anise I laid out more for looks for eating.

> What is even the point of the mask if you’re going to lower it to interact with everything anyway?! <