The news reached Han Soi before Feng Yansheng even left the dining room.
His man caught up to him halfway down the white marble corridor with uneven breath and wary eyes.
"Duke… the Land Empire delegation has arrived. They are already at the outer gates."
Han Soi stopped.
His body went rigid in an instant, as if every muscle had been pulled tight by invisible strings.
The Land Empire. His homeland and his leash at the same time.
Slowly, he exhaled through his nose and turned around. His expression was calm, but his back was straight, his shoulders squared in a way that only appeared when he was preparing for confrontation.
By the time he reached the main gates of the temple, the delegation had already dismounted.
Golden banners fluttered in the wind, embroidered with the crest of the Land Empire. The marble courtyard felt suddenly smaller, crowded by pressure rather than numbers.
At the center stood the Second Prince.
