On a deep winter night in the Red Tide Territory, the cold seeped through the cracks in the stone walls, invading the old hall. The fire in the fireplace was weak, and only a few oil lamps barely lit the table.
This room, originally a refuge for the nobility, had been transformed into a secret meeting chamber.
The doors and windows were tightly closed, guards were dismissed, and the air carried a mix of charcoal, lingering damp mold, and a touch of unsettling anxiety.
The room's host, Viscount Brooke, sat in the center, his gaze slowly sweeping over those present.
He was one of the old Northern Lords from Snow Peak County, and had long been displeased with Louis, but had remained dormant due to Louis's overwhelming power. However, he didn't expect that when disaster struck, it was Louis who took him in.
At this moment, his expression was calm, yet the deep lines at the corners of his eyes indicated that he was unsatisfied with merely being safe and surviving.
