Her body was clearly reacting to his aura. The sweat on her face, the tension in her shoulders, and the way she struggled to breathe all showed that she could feel the pressure.
Yet her expression told a completely different story.
There was no sign that she intended to back down.
If anything, she seemed more interested in him than before.
Julian narrowed his eyes.
He had seen people react to overwhelming power in many different ways. Some became frightened, others tried to hide their fear, and a few even attempted to challenge it.
But the Queen Mother's reaction was something else entirely.
She seemed almost pleased.
It was as though the power he had just revealed had answered a question she had been trying to solve for a long time.
Then her lips parted.
"So..."
She let out a quiet breath, her eyes never leaving his face.
"I was right."
The words were spoken so softly that they almost disappeared beneath the pressure filling the pavilion.
But Julian heard them clearly.
