Chapter 326 - 325. Founding Day Ball (3)
"If you have a moment, would you like to accompany me, Lord Ocean? There are a few matters I wish to discuss with you." Grand Duke Alarice’s voice was calm yet laced with a certain weight, his sharp gaze assessing me.
I had just parted my lips to respond when the heavy doors swung open with a resounding echo.
"Make way for the Crown! Announcing Their Majesties, Rulers of Sestia, and Her Royal Highness, the Princess!"
The herald’s proclamation cut through the air like a blade, and the atmosphere in the grand hall shifted instantly. A wave of movement rippled through the assembled nobles as they turned in unison, parting like the Red Sea to make way for the three royal figures stepping into view. Even Alarice and I turned to face them, the weight of formality pressing upon us.
As protocol dictated, I bowed, along with the rest of the court. Yet beneath my composed exterior, my Dragon blood simmered, an ancient, primal instinct resisting the act of lowering my head before these weak and greedy humans.
Calm down.
I swallowed the irritation creeping up my throat. This wasn’t the time. I had to play my part, no matter how much it grated against my pride.
Still, I allowed myself a single glance upward.
The King, the Queen, and the Princess stood at the threshold, their expressions schooled into practiced neutrality. Yet, beneath the carefully controlled masks, I could see it—pride. Arrogance. The silent assertion of their power.
A part of me itched to shatter that illusion. To remind them that their thrones sat atop fragile foundations. But patience was a virtue. Their fall would be all the more satisfying when the entire empire bore witness to it.
"I suppose we can’t talk now," Alarice muttered beside me.