The tension in the room thickened like a storm waiting to break. I could feel the weight of their stares, the way some of them looked at me as if I were nothing more than an inconvenience. They looked at me as though I was an insect they could squash if I dared to overstep.
But I had already overstepped, hadn’t I?
And yet, King Nicholas hadn’t stopped me.
The ghost of a smirk still lingered on his lips, his sharp gaze unreadable as he leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping idly against the armrest. It was a small, almost insignificant gesture, but one that told me he was waiting.
For what, I wasn’t sure.
Lord Cedric was the first to break the silence, his voice smooth but laced with barely concealed amusement. “Ah, I see now. You’re not just some frightened little girl, are you? Yo
