Guards fled instantly.
Maids screamed while abandoning their posts and running for their lives.
No one moved to help Lord Faldren.
No one dared interfere.
This was a family feud.
Besides… no one believed their lord could lose anyway.
A sword of pure ice materialized in one of his hands.
In the other, a shorter spear condensed from swirling frost and sharpened instantly.
His aura expanded violently, freezing the very air around him until breathing itself became painful.
"You shall be reunited with the goddess, girl."
Matia's expression did not shift.
Without a word, frozen mist gathered around her free arm before condensing into a perfectly round shield of hardened ice.
She rotated her wrist slightly, testing its weight.
Then finally she looked directly into his eyes.
"You mean like your only son?" she asked quietly.
The moment she spoke of her brother, something twisted painfully inside her chest.
A sharp sting.
But she needed his rage.
She needed to provoke him.
