Immediately upon hearing Niomi's trembling words, Violet's frown deepened further.
Her expression, once proud and composed, now showed the faintest signs of unraveling. The more she heard, the more the truth began to pierce through the disbelief—and with every passing moment, her confidence eroded faster than she could steady it.
The absurd idea that Damien was waging war against the Blue Hammer Kingdom…
was starting to feel terrifyingly real.
Her mind raced.
Wait. Why is Damien going to war?
Why isn't it Roosevelt—why isn't it the king leading the charge?
A sharp pang shot through her chest as the realization settled in.
Violet had been away from the Valthorn Kingdom for more than a year. Her diplomatic mission had taken her to distant lands where communication was unreliable, and in some regions, completely severed. She had returned home thinking the kingdom would still be as she left it.
She had no idea how much had changed.
If she knew the full extent of those changes…
