Kyle gave Lady Rose a slow, almost lazy smile, the kind that said he had already seen through whatever she was trying to hide. His gaze flicked to the side, catching the faint stiffness in her posture.
She was very deliberately avoiding looking at the people gathered just a few steps behind him. Her eyes never wandered past his shoulders, as if the rest of his party didn't exist.
Amana's presence was easy for Kyle to sense.
Even in disguise, the Grand Duchess carried herself like a blade wrapped in silk—her mana restrained, her expression calm, but her aura too refined to mistake for anyone else.
He felt her move, just a fraction closer, as though she intended to stride right past him and confront Rose directly.
His hand twitched at his side, a subtle signal. A silent warning.
Not now.
Amana's steps paused. She knew he was right.
She was not the Grand Duchess at this moment—she was playing another role entirely, and blowing her cover here would be foolish.
