"Ah~ Councilor Kiramman sure has sharp eyes, she immediately set her sights on Zaun's most outstanding young talent."
"Back when Swain came to Piltover and Zaun for a banquet a few years ago, I was puzzled why that councilor insisted on bringing her daughter over to greet us."
"Turns out, she had her eye on him even back then. No wonder the House Kiramman has been growing stronger under her leadership."
"Excellent foresight, brilliant investment strategy, the only strange thing is how well it's working."
Silco swirled his glass of red wine, savoring its rich taste while his eyes remained locked on Cipher, a smile playing at the corner of his scarred lips.
This was truly entertaining theater. A Piltover councilor wanting to arrange a marriage alliance with someone she'd once considered a "rat from the Undercity"?
What could be more amusing?
He was here for the drama, and tonight's performance exceeded all expectations.
The conversation between Councilor Kiramman and Caitlyn had been secretly transmitted to The Last Drop in real time via a disguised surveillance device.
The meaning behind the councilor's chosen words wasn't hard to grasp for those with experience.
Of everyone present, only Heimerdinger, Viktor, and Vi didn't immediately follow the subtext of what they'd just witnessed.
The rest, being more experienced and knowledgeable, understood it all clearly.
Even the youngest, Powder, already knew what she was supposed to know.
Cipher kept his head down, apparently focused on making tea, neither looking up nor offering any opinion, quietly pretending to be invisible.
He was currently the center of attention, plenty of people wanted to see a good show, and the best strategy now was to maintain a low profile and hope they'd lose interest.
If they couldn't get any reaction from him, they might eventually move on to other entertainment, right?
"Vander, say something. Cipher is not that young anymore, it's time to start thinking seriously about these things."
"This girl's not bad at all. I've had a good look at her over the years, her appearance and character are both admirable. She might be a little naive, but I quite like that stubborn, never-give-up attitude of hers."
Silco had no intention of letting Cipher off the hook so easily. Seeing he wouldn't speak, he gave Vander a look, signaling the father figure to chime in.
"I think it's a fine match myself. The girl seems decent and genuinely kind-hearted."
Usually a man of few words when it came to personal matters, Vander stroked his rough chin and smiled warmly, echoing Silco's sentiment.
Though he didn't truly support purely political marriages, believing such matters should ultimately be decided by the people involved, he was genuinely anxious about Cipher's personal life.
As a father, he worried.
Cipher was already in his early twenties, and in old Zaun, people that age were typically well into establishing families and building their adult lives. Yet he showed no signs of romantic interest in anyone. All these years, Vander had never seen him take interest in any girl.
As everyone knows, when it comes to marriage prospects, it's often the parents who are more anxious than the people directly involved.
Vander and Silco teasing the young man whenever they got the chance actually made them quite progressive and open-minded father figures by traditional Zaunite standards.
"I agree as well. She's the sole heir of the House Kiramman, a suitable match. Marrying her would significantly reduce resistance when we eventually move to integrate Piltover," Sevika said seriously.
As the one most adept at both combat and political maneuvering, she viewed everything through the lens of strategic advantage.
Because she could fight, and she could plan, that combination made her invaluable.
In her view, there was no doubt that Piltover would eventually be fully integrated with Zaun under Cipher's leadership. The only question was timeline and method.
As for Mel, aside from her natural affinity for Zaun's system, her entire fortune was now tied to Cipher's future success. There was an extremely high probability she'd openly side with him when the time came.
Among Piltover's seven councilors, Zaun had now secured the loyalty of two through various means.
If they could draw the powerful House Kiramman in through marriage alliance, that would make three, nearly half the Council.
Before the war even started, they'd already claimed a significant portion of Piltover's political power. Victory would be within reach.
As for the personal opinions of the two individuals who would be sacrificed in this political arrangement?
Sevika didn't think their personal preferences mattered. The political math wasn't hard. She believed they would both ultimately agree to the arrangement.
For the sake of both cities' future, that was reason enough for any sacrifice.
If she herself had to sacrifice personal happiness for the greater good, she wouldn't even hesitate or complain.
Most of the people gathered at The Last Drop shared that same sense of duty and willingness to sacrifice for the cause.
"Looks like I need to start preparing an appropriate wedding gift in advance."
Quiletta narrowed her eyes, sipping her tea while adding her own commentary.
"What are you all talking about? Why can't I understand any of it?"
Vi scratched her head in confusion, she had no idea what they were all suddenly going on about… marriage?
She didn't like this topic at all. She wasn't planning on getting married to anyone, ever. She had absolutely no romantic feelings for men, period.
If she got along well with a guy and their personalities clicked, she saw them as brothers, the kind of people to drink with, fight alongside, and share meals with as equals.
As for romantic love with men? Sorry, first take this Zaun-style roundhouse kick to end that conversation!
She had always found herself more attracted to women. She was far more willing to get emotionally close and physically intimate with the fairer sex.
Girls were soft and warm to hold, they smelled naturally sweet and inviting, and they probably felt even better to touch than they looked.
Caitlyn, Vi found her very pleasing to the eye. She looked like a perfectly crafted cupcake, elegant and probably just as sweet to taste.
The more she thought along these lines, the redder her already alcohol-flushed cheeks became, and a dopey grin spread across her face.
If she didn't have such good looks and solid bone structure, that expression would absolutely be considered creepy by any observer.
Though she wasn't exactly looking normal right now either, at least no one in the room felt the urge to punch her for being inappropriate.
"Vi, wipe that drool off your mouth. I told you already, drinking too much makes you act like an idiot, you never listen to good advice. Look at yourself now, acting like a complete fool," Powder grumbled, biting her lip as she handed Vi a clean napkin.
But her blue eyes weren't focused on her sister's drunken antics, they were locked onto Silco, who quickly noticed Powder's death glare, ice-cold and hostile, the kind of look that could lower the room's temperature by several degrees.
He knew that look. He'd seen it before, and it never meant anything good.
He turned slightly away with his wine glass, avoiding her piercing gaze while pretending to be fascinated by the bar's wooden ceiling.
The dynamic between the two sisters had always been complex, Vi got along naturally with Vander, while Powder had formed a closer bond with Silco over the years.
Compared to the straightforward, rough-and-tumble Vander, he had noticed some concerning behavioral patterns in Powder during their extended time together in Qurac.
He didn't think her attachment was entirely appropriate, but he also understood that she had serious psychological issues.
Ever since she'd started spending time with that refugee, she appeared normal on the surface, but he knew it was all a facade.
This whole situation of teasing Cipher about marriage prospects? It wasn't just about having harmless fun at the young man's expense, deep down, he genuinely hoped Cipher would settle down quickly.
He wanted to avoid any scandal that might shake the foundations of Piltover and Zaun in the future.
They were all family, after all, in the way that mattered most. But certain kinds of forbidden drama?
Absolutely not acceptable under any circumstances.
"I don't agree!"
Seeing Silco playing dumb and Cipher pretending to be invisible, while The Last Drop buzzed with what sounded like premature celebration, as if this so-called marriage alliance had already been decided and finalized, Powder couldn't contain herself any longer.
She couldn't even bother keeping up her ladylike image, slamming her hand on the table and loudly voicing her rejection.
"Why not? It seems like a good match."
Sevika, cigarette dangling from her lips, looked puzzled by Powder's sudden outburst.
Ever since Powder had showcased her unmatched scientific brilliance and innovative engineering skills, she no longer saw her as a burden.
She'd started treating her as a genius on par with Heimerdinger and Viktor.
Now she couldn't help but look down on Vi, the girl's whole vibe just screamed "unreliable."
"Who knows if she's really as innocent as she appears, or if it's all an act? We need to be careful, we can't let just anyone into The Last Drop."
Powder said, pointing straight at Vi, who was basically a puddle of drunken goo at this point.
"I say we let Vi interact with this Piltover enforcer first, test her out, make sure she's safe, then we can talk."
Vi, who could barely stand straight, looked completely useless. Anyone watching would just shake their head.
Marriage? Dream on. Powder would never agree. She was determined to ruin it.
Her tiny hand clenched tightly at the corner of her shirt, as if grasping something unseen, her eyes glinting with dangerous intent.
"Hehe, alright then! Leave it to me! I'll definitely test her thoroughly and find out everything there is to know."
The moment Vi heard this, she perked right up, thumping her chest with confidence and vigor.