Inside Opalcrest Manor
Within the grand banquet hall of Opalcrest Manor, the atmosphere was charged with indignation and restrained fury.
Ornate chandeliers glittered above rows of long, polished tables, where nobles, diplomats, and military officers of the nation had gathered.
Plates of untouched delicacies lay forgotten. The wine was flowing, but the taste of it soured on their tongues.
A diplomat abruptly slammed his goblet onto the table, the sound ringing like a shot across the room.
"This is outrageous!" he bellowed, his face flushed with rage. "What kind of man is Lucian Lancaster to utter such brazen declarations? How can he speak so shamelessly—threatening an entire nation while favoring those treacherous Everharts?"
Murmurs of agreement swelled, a wave of angry whispers rippling across the hall.
From a corner table, a cold voice cut through the noise.
