An Understated Dominance Novel (Dahlia & Dustin) by Marina Vittori updated 2025-26 - An Understated Dominance Chapter 2590

Chapter 2590

Grace sent out her people right away, delivering the plague-prevention prescription to the three emperors.

After receiving it, each of them reacted differently.

Tristan was naturally pleased. He immediately had two miracle doctors review the prescription, and they confirmed its effectiveness. Without delay, he started administering it—boiling the medicine and distributing it to every patient.

Although it wasn’t a complete cure, it eased symptoms and slowed the plague’s progression.

And in a race against time like this, that alone was already a massive win.

Matthias, on the other hand, wasn’t sure what to make of the prescription at first. No one around him could make sense of it either. With no better options, he reluctantly decided to test it out.

To his surprise, it worked.

Relieved, Matthias quickly ordered its distribution and began buying large quantities of medicinal herbs.

What he didn’t expect, however, was that once the herbs reached the hands of Linche’s local officials, everything fell apart.

Those corrupt bureaucrats seized the opportunity to profit. Instead of distributing the herbs, they sold them at inflated prices.

Worse, news of the plague in Linche leaked.

Now, with greedy officials fanning the flames, the city erupted into chaos. Word spread fast, and panic took hold. People scrambled to get their hands on the medicine.

The wealthy snatched up everything they could and hoarded it—only to resell at sky-high prices.

This left ordinary people helpless. Even those already sick couldn’t get the treatment they needed.

If you had money, you could buy a cure. If not, you were left to die.

In this toxic atmosphere, not only did Matthias fail to control the plague, but public outrage also began boiling over.

By the time Matthias got word of what was happening, Linche was already spiraling out of control.

Furious, he ordered the execution of several corrupt officials who had profited from the disaster.

He also cracked down on the rich who had manipulated supply and demand—rounding them up and throwing them in jail.

Only under such harsh measures did the madness finally stop.

But with so many officials imprisoned, government operations came to a halt. And in that vacuum, the plague spread even further.

Matthias found himself completely overwhelmed.

As for Nathaniel, the situation on his side was far more stable.

Not only had he brought his own medical team, but he also assigned trusted aides to keep a close eye on the local officials in Liyanche City—and made it clear there would be severe consequences for misconduct.

As a result, by the time the plague began to spread, most of the city’s officials had already been sidelined.

Unlike Tristan and Matthias, Nathaniel didn’t rush to use the prescription Grace had sent.

Instead, he had his medical team work on developing their own antidote.

It wasn’t just out of suspicion—he had his own reasons.

—

By morning, another night had passed.

Grace was inspecting the patients at the temporary medical facility when Stevie walked in.

“Boss, we’ve caught Penny. Want to interrogate her now?” Stevie asked.

“Nice work. Lead the way,” Grace said with a nod.

Penny was believed to be the source of the plague in Pucheng. Naturally, Grace needed to get to the bottom of it.

“This way, please,” Stevie said.

She didn’t waste time explaining further and led Grace out.

After passing through several security checkpoints, they arrived at a secluded cabin.

The area around the cabin was completely secured. Several teams of soldiers stood guard, ensuring no one could get close.

Crunch!

Stevie pushed open the heavy iron door. Sunlight spilled inside, instantly flooding the dark room with light.

Grace stepped in and saw a woman tied to a chair.

The woman had a pretty face and a slender frame—harmless-looking at first glance.

If someone didn’t know her background, they might let their guard down just by looking at her.

“Take off her blindfold,” Grace ordered.

Stevie gestured, and a soldier in full chemical protective gear stepped forward to remove the black cloth covering Penny’s eyes.

As the light hit her, Penny flinched and squinted. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust.

“Are you Penny?” Grace asked calmly.

“Who are you? Why did you bring me here? I didn’t do anything,” Penny replied, sounding scared.

“We’re government agents. We’ve already investigated your background thoroughly, so you can drop the act,” Grace said flatly.

“Government agents? Why would you arrest me? I haven’t done anything wrong! You must have the wrong person!” Penny protested, looking genuinely shocked.

“That’s enough! Don’t bother acting like a victim,” Stevie snapped. “We’ve already got you in custody. You think a few tears and a sob story are going to save you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Are you kidnappers? If you’re after money, I’m broke—you won’t get a dime from me,” Penny said softly.

“So you’re still playing innocent? Fine—if you won’t talk, then maybe some pain will jog your memory.”

Stevie waved her hand. “Bring in the tools. We’ll do this the hard way.”