Clara's eyes sharpened. The irritation did not vanish, but it was now joined by something sharper and far more focused. The implication was clear. Whatever method had taken him from a disgraced young master to an Arch Mage in a handful of years was not limited to himself. It could be shared.
For a mother who had watched her daughter pour years of blood and effort into reaching Peak Sovereign, the possibility was impossible to ignore.
She did not speak immediately. Her fingers tightened slightly against the fabric of her gown as she processed the claim. Outside, the afternoon light continued to shift across the floor of the room, but inside the air had grown heavier with the sudden shift from riddles to something concrete.
Julian did not rush her. He simply waited, the faint smile still present, as if he already knew the calculation now running behind her eyes.
Clara finally drew a slow breath.
