In the afternoon, Lolita sat in the boardroom beside Axel, her posture regal in a black leather chair. Around her, government officials shifted uneasily.
"We need to talk about budget cuts in the prisons in Intermarium," Lolita said coldly.
"What cuts do you have in mind?" Artemis raised his eyebrow.
Lolita smiled. "We'll reinstate the death penalty. No more feeding criminals with our tax dollars."
"Lolita!" Maxwell blurted. "That's barbaric!"
Lolita snapped. "Maxwell, don't argue back. I'm the ruler of Intermarium. The laws I'm enforcing are non-negotiable."
Reached into a black leather satchel at her pink heels and pulled out a glossy photograph of herself. In it, she wore a closed-lip smile, her cheeks blushing a vibrant pink.
"Every household must display my portrait," she said. "First offence: warning. Second offence: arrest. Deface it—imprisonment."
"Most citizens can't afford framed portraits," Maxwell said.
"That's why I've already ordered prints," Lolita replied, beaming like she'd solved poverty with a coupon code. "To cover costs, we'll eliminate tax deduction on hydro, water, and electricity. Except for government officials."
Sterling's mouth dropped. "Lolita people will freeze to death if they can't afford electricity-"
"Sterling, this is a policy, not a group project," Lolita said sternly.
The council dispersed for a one-hour break. Maxwell stood beside Artemis in the courtyard.
"The new laws that Lolita is enforcing are absurd." Maxwell scowled.
Artemis shrugged. "There's nothing we can do. We can't argue back."
"Come on now. She wants to give citizens the death penalty for spitting on a statue of her! She's out of her mind-"
"What're you talking about?"
Maxwell turned around and looked at Axel's scowling face. Maxwell snapped, "It's called none of your concern."
"You better not be talking shit about Lolita. She's a good ruler."
"Do you know anything about the police case on Ethan's death?" Artemis asked.
Axel pulled out a vape pen from the pocket of his black blazer and took a puff. "The case is cold."
"What?" Maxwell's voice cracked. "The police can't just give up."
"They have no evidence to find the murderer," Axel said with a shrug. "And they're busy with solving other murders."
Artemis said, "There needs to be more government funding in policing."
Axel shook his head. "Wouldn't matter. They still wouldn't solve it."
"How do you know that?" Maxwell replied coldly.
Before Axel could answer, a servant hurried over. "Lolita requests your return to the boardroom."
Maxwell crushed out the last ember of his cigarette with his black Oxford shoe and followed the others inside. If only Lolita cared half as much about policing as she did about plastering her face across the country.