Leah
I held the Dowager’s gaze—steady, unflinching. “You let me in here because you’re uncertain. And because you need help.”
A faint arch lifted one silver brow. “Such certainty. Where does it come from?”
I let the smallest smile touch my lips. “I know I’m not easy to look at. But someone of your experience doesn’t waste time judging souls by their skin. So I can speak to you without flinching. That’s where the confidence lives.”
Last lifetime, my face had been a millstone—every mirror a punishment, every stare a fresh wound. This time? The ugliness had become armor. People underestimated me the moment they saw me. And underestimation was the deadliest gift anyone could hand an enemy.
The Dowager’s expression softened—lines easing, golden eyes warming just enough to notice. She leane
