The Emperor stared down at her, his expression freezing over. The heavy, suffocating aura of the absolute monarch pressed down on the throne room, turning the air ice-cold.
"Have I given you too much leeway, Lady Vanguard?" the Emperor asked, his voice a low, dangerous whisper. "Have I shown you so much respect that you have completely forgotten your place?"
The head eunuch instantly dropped to his knees, trembling in terror. The Emperor was no longer playing political chess; this was genuine, lethal imperial wrath.
Heena felt the killing intent wash over her, compounding the blinding pain still throbbing behind her eyes. But she did not flinch. She kept her gaze respectfully lowered, her voice perfectly steady.
