Before we start and I know it's unrelated but let me say it since I play uma musume.

Rest in peace, Haru Urara. Thank you for being the shining star of losers everywhere and thank you for being such an inspiration to me and to alot of people.

Art by: keipupart on x, go support them!

We love you Haru Urara. We love you so much.

Eat lots of carrot and ryegrass okay? Run freely with your friends too!

If you never played uma musume before, please do. Please make her your champion 3.

Thank you to the patrons as well for supporting me and being patient with me: OdeToAKite, Danielle Warvel, Michael, JewBot9000, Anonymous8418 and Jonathan Newman.

While Aric was dealing with Callista, Seraphina met with the King and Queen in front of the town hall. Benny and Gerard quickly took their leave as they nearly passed out from the sheer responsibility they held for two minutes.

Seraphina didn't bow down to them.

“Greetings, your highness.” Her tone was neither submissive nor disrespectful. Just steady, as if acknowledging equals rather than superiors.

King William’s brows lifted faintly, the corners of his mouth twitching.

Seriously? This girl...

Queen Alice studied Seraphina. This girl never changed. She has never once bowed to us, even at a young age. Well, not that I hate it.

I love powerful women.

Thorin inclined his head stiffly, “Your Majesty.” His voice was respectful, but his broad shoulders were stiff, his dwarven pride unwilling to fold more than necessary.

Lira gave a small bow, “Fancy meeting you here. What's the occasion?”

Alice mirrored her bow, but William remained unmoving. Alice straightened and said with a smile,

“We are here for official business with the Arkwright's. I must say, I am curious why you're here, Ms. Lira. Especially with the dwarf prince.”

Thorin smiled, his teeth flashing beneath his beard. “The dwarves are official partners in the Arkwright ventures. I saw the value of their inventions and invested heavily. So I am here as a third party, alongside Princess Lira.”

Alice tilted her head in surprise. She chuckled softly.

Interesting… witnesses. Perhaps that will keep William in line.

She straightened her posture, “Then let us discuss business now.”

The town hall was spotless, as if the celebration had never happened. Instead, a long table stretched across the center, draped in a deep red cloth that gleamed faintly in the morning light. Silver platters gleamed with roasted meats, bowls of steaming stews, and fresh bread stacked high from Mira.

Goblets of wine with their fragrance rich with oak and berries. Aric had set this all up the night before with Claire, Adam, Penelope, and Evelyn working overtime. He also had the chefs here prepare fried rice dotted with diced vegetables, bacon, and egg. The aromas blended strangely well, creating a harmony between Earth’s comfort food and this world’s feasting traditions.

Seraphina gestured toward it with controlled poise. “Please, sit.”

The King and Queen took their seats opposite Seraphina. Thorin sat to Seraphina’s right, Lira to her left. The tension in the room was palpable, as this room alone holds the entire continent's power.

William spoke first. “We will not waste time. Lady Seraphina. Your husband, Vayne, has significant debts owed to us. Resources, favours, and especially funds. You're his wife, so you know what that means.”

Seraphina kept her gaze while her hands folded neatly before her.

“I am aware of the obligations.”

“Then you will honour them.” William continued.

Seraphina chuckled sarcastically, “Funny. I thought a 'king' would know the worth of a man before lending him coin. But I suppose even kings have poor judgment, or do you make a habit of giving gold to gamblers and calling it wisdom?”

Thorin stifled a laugh with a cough while Lira covered her eyes, trying not to chuckle.

“Careful, Duchess.”

“Careful?” Seraphina tilted her head, “Do you mean careful of speaking truth, Your Majesty? My husband has squandered every favour he was granted. He turned your loans into ash and humiliation. If you expected me to shoulder the weight of his failure, then perhaps you should have also asked me to inherit his vices. Shall I start gambling and drinking as well?”

Alice leaned forward, trying to defuse the situation, “This isn’t about vices, my dear. This is about responsibility. You married him, so his debts are your debts.”

Seraphina stared at the queen and breathed in deeply.

Calm yourself down, Sera. They're just here for the money. I am still following Aric's plan. He will be busy with Callista until he gets papers from her, while I have to convince them to forgive the debt.

I guess it's time for my plan now.

She gestured at the food and drinks on the table. She took her glass of wine and took a sip before speaking,

“I am sorry if I spoke out of line earlier. Yes, I have his debts, and I do have the funds to pay for them. But before we get to that, would you be interested in hearing about a deal?”

William and Alice were surprised by the food around here, but were especially keen on this mysterious rice dish.

“Before I answer that,” William pointed at the huge stack of fried rice, “what is this?”

Seraphina scooped some and placed it onto his plate, “This is called Fried Rice. Something my husband likes to eat. This is also a staple now within Ashwick, and every food shop here sells fried rice with their version.”

“It is perhaps the most versatile dish you will ever taste. You can put anything inside, and it will still be wonderful.”

William scoffed, “Surely it can't be that good. If it's sold everywhere here, it's just a working man's food.”

“Then taste it. Prove me wrong.”

William hesitated only briefly before lifting a spoonful to his mouth.

The moment the flavours hit his tongue, his eyes widened. The smoky aroma of the wok, the umami depth of soy mingling with the faint sweetness of caramelized vegetables. It was a simple dish, yet it had flavours alien to him.

The texture danced between fluffy grains and crisp bits that popped with flavour.

“This—this is…” William’s voice caught, scooping for another bite. “It tastes like… like a battlefield victory in my mouth. Unrefined, yet precise. Every grain is a soldier, and yet they march in perfect formation—!”

Alice, unable to resist, reached across and scooped a portion for herself. She chewed once, twice, and then clasped her hands together,

“Oh my god...” She pressed a hand to her lips, her eyes shimmering with delight. “The balance… the harmony… the way the flavours layer!”

Both of them were squirming when eating this, almost going back to their youth.

Seraphina swirled her wine, “As you can see, Ashwick thrives on innovation. Not just in trade, but in culture as well. And this dish?”

She gestured to the fried rice. “It is only a taste of what we offer.”

She noticed how the king’s and queen’s expressions had softened, their earlier sharpness dulled. They were happily munching, smiling even. Seraphina mirrored their calm with a smile of her own as she took a bite of rice.

Inside, however, she was screaming.

HOW THE HELL DID ARIC'S PLAN OF MAKING THEM EAT THIS FOOD WOULD THROW THEM OFF? IS HE SOME KIND OF WITCH THAT CAN SEE THE FUTURE??

***************************************

Aric’s words replayed in her mind.

“Okay, now that’s settled, I’ll need the chef to work overtime today.”

Seraphina had stared at him in disbelief. “What? We've just finished planning for Callista, and now you’re bothering the chef? Are you hungry or something?”

“No, no. I need it for the meeting. The Crown has never tasted Earth’s food before.”

Thorin grunted. “You mean that fried rice? Aye. I’ll admit, it’s surprisingly good, but it’s still common food.”

Aric’s grin widened. “Exactly. That’s the point.”

They stared at him blankly. He folded his hands together and leaned back,

“Tell me something. When a guest comes to your home, what’s the first thing you do?”

“…Serve them food and talk to them,” Seraphina muttered reluctantly.

“Exactly.” Aric snapped his fingers. “And nobility knows this. They expect venison, roasted chicken, fine cheeses, and aged wine. They’ve eaten these things thousands of times. By now, it’s boring to them, but it's the only thing that suits their palate.”

“But fried rice? That’s a surprise. It’s a dish beneath their expectations and yet it tastes better than half the noble banquets they’ve ever attended. That, my friends, is psychological warfare. I am going to strip their guard with food that tastes better than whatever the royal chef can cook up.”

Lira facepalmed, “…You’re manipulating them with food?”

Aric smirked. “Well...not manipulation but easing them up.”

He raised a finger, “Epicurus once said that pleasure is the beginning and end of a happy life. I’m not making them full, I’m making them happy. I want the Crown to feel the primal joy they haven’t felt in years. Food that bypasses the crown and speaks directly to the child inside them.”

Seraphina crossed her arms. “So what? You’ll make them forget debts over a plate of rice?”

“Not forget,” Aric corrected, “but soften. People in pleasure lower their guard. Minds sharpen when threatened, but they dull when satisfied. He’s still a man at the end of the day. Anyone who tastes good food wants more of that food. And when desire grows, it reshapes the conversation.”

****************************************************

William finished his plate of fried rice and looked rather sad. Alice looked at him and whispered,

“We should...get back to the main point. I believe this place has more things to offer as allies rather than us just sucking them dry.”

William used a napkin to wipe his mouth and put it down. He clasped his hands together,

“That was truly a lovely meal. I thank you for that. Now onto business, let's hear about that deal.”

Seraphina placed her glass of wine gently on the table, “It’s simple. I propose that you forgive the debt. In exchange, we provide you with our technology along with… add-ons like this fried rice recipe.”

William’s smile didn’t waver, but his gaze sharpened as he leaned back in his chair.

Just as Callista wrote in her letter, he thought. They’ll leverage their inventions as payment, expecting us to act as though the debt never existed.

Callista did see them through. If we reject them, they could force our hand, or they will go rogue. I should be careful here.

She did warn about this new Vayne, but he's not even here. His wife is the bigger threat for now...but maybe I can play nice.

He let the silence linger for a moment, studying Seraphina, “Your proposal is… intriguing. But forgive me if I sound cautious. Recipes and clever tools don’t exactly balance the weight of what is owed. We are talking about millions of gold coins. That kind of money...can't simply be forgiven.”

Seraphina smirked faintly, “Tools? Your majesty, we’re talking about foundations that reshape nations. Machines that save labour, methods that double harvests, heat that saves lives, and food preservation that makes winter obsolete. If you still think in terms of coin and ledgers, then perhaps you’ve underestimated what’s really on the table.”

William tapped the table once with his finger, measuring the rhythm of his thoughts.

That is true. We know for a fact these inventions could revolutionise humanity...But I still want her gone as a threat. I would like her as an ally, but she has never liked the royal family since birth.

The Arkwright's and our family always had a bad history together. I tried to make it right with her dad before but he was more of an ass than Seraphina is. Maybe I can get her to be on our side for good now but only if she does that...

But, I need to test her first.

“Perhaps,” he said at last. “But that still leaves one question unanswered. What stops us from simply taking it from you?”

The air grew heavier. Thorin felt agitated and Lira's eyebrow twitched.

Seraphina closed her eyes. I suppose you were right, Aric. They were going to abuse their standing, and abuse they did.

Even though their tone is nicer now, the king is still a problem.

“You could try,” she said smoothly. “But I think you know what I would say to that.”

She started to exude her aura a little and the air felt even more dense now.

“Even if I were to do nothing, you cannot function. These inventions only exist because of them both: dwarves with their speed and precision in craft and my husband with his unmatched mind and resources.”

“I came here in good faith. I came to build something. I want this to work for the sake of everyone.”

She started to smile a little unhinged, “But since you dared to threaten me with theft…Then let me amend the deal. I will settle every debt, here and now, in gold.”

Her gaze hardened, “But the technologies? You will never touch them. Not in your reign. Not in your children’s. While others forge the future, your throne will rot in the past. I can promise you that.”

Thank you for reading Reincarnated into a Failed Marriage.

Any comments or suggestions or anything really, please feel free to comment about it. It helps me make the novel better too.

Also, thank you for being patient with me. Work been hectic to the point it made me delay release of chapter. It's clear now so hopefully nothing too crazy.