The Curiosity: The younger politicians and intelligence spies were leaning forward, their eyes shining with dangerous calculation. They were actively scanning her posture, her expression, and her aura, desperately trying to figure out how to exploit her newly publicized "weakness" regarding Samuel.
The Audacity: And then, there were the others. A handful of arrogant, overconfident noblemen were looking her up and down with an entirely different kind of gaze. It was a lingering, predatory, insulting stare that completely dismissed her martial authority and instead measured her purely as a woman.
Heena's right hand twitched, her fingers instinctively curling toward the hilt of the sword she wasn't allowed to carry in the Emperor's presence.
