Chapter 99: An Audience With Her Majesty
Another weekend had come.
Velren stood before the mirror in his dorm room, fingers lingering at the knot of his tie. He wasn’t sure if he should tighten it properly for once, or just leave it as it always was—loose, slightly undone, as if he couldn’t be bothered to care.
Solenne hadn’t given many details about the summit’s content. Only that his presence alone would be enough to put her at ease. When he had asked about the dress code, she had simply said:
"The academy uniform will do just fine."
He sighed. If she didn’t care, then there was no point fussing over it. With that thought, he released his grip, letting the tie remain in its usual, slightly slack state.
Stepping away from the mirror, his eyes inevitably landed on the object resting atop his desk.
His wakizashi.
It had remained untouched in his room since that day. He hadn’t dared to keep it close, let alone wield it. Just the thought of wrapping his fingers around the hilt sent an echo of pain through his mind, a memory of that unbearable sensation seared into his body. And yet, as he stared at it now, a different thought crept in.
He never knew what kind of trouble might be waiting for him at the summit. The world of politics was more than just words and formalities—it was an arena where bloodshed didn’t always come with a drawn blade. Assassins, spies, hidden plots... even if Solenne hadn’t said it outright, the possibility was there.
Would he really leave himself defenseless?
His fingers twitched at his side.