[Emperor Cassius POV—Imperial Chambers—Shortly After]
My chambers were quiet.
Too quiet.
The kind of silence that made even the walls listen.
I strode across the marble floor, each step a thunderous crack that echoed like distant war drums. I stopped at the tall window, watching the courtyard below where soldiers trained—shields clashing, swords ringing, dust rising in disciplined rhythm.
Strength. Order. Control.
Everything that General Luke did not bow to.
That bastard stood before me earlier with the arrogance of a man carved by gods—no fear, no trembling, only respect. A man from Astreyon, a closed-off kingdom where even their shadows refused to mingle with outsiders.
And yet here he was. Serving my daughter. Serving my empire.
That flinch when I mentioned love… That silence when I pressed about his family… That buried pain in his eyes…
I narrowed my gaze.
