"What's with those expressions?" Noctys's voice rang out, light yet carrying the weight of authority. "You should know exactly how much the Venom Fang Overlord treasures the garden. And let me tell you a little secret—"
Her hands settled firmly on her hips, the smooth movement radiating confidence. A faint rustle of silk echoed in the otherwise still hall. "—I have cared for that garden for hundreds of years. Only then did the Overlord deem me worthy to lead all of you."
The corner of her lips curled upward in a knowing smirk, her words hanging in the air like a challenge. The ambient silence deepened; only the faint creak of the towering wooden beams and the whisper of distant wind through the gaps broke it.
"Now—" she tilted her chin ever so slightly, eyes sweeping over them like a blade "—get to work."
