Entering the Clan's Main Hall, Luo Yue immediately noticed several elders already gathered, their robes lined with solemnity and authority. At the head of the hall sat her mother—Lady Luo Yin—occupying the Clan Leader's seat in her grandfather's absence. The air was heavy with the weight of discussion, but the murmurs quickly faded the moment they saw her step in.
Luo Yue instinctively straightened her posture, her eyes locking with her mother's.
"Mother," she greeted with a respectful bow.
Lady Luo Yin's gaze narrowed slightly. "You've walked into a private council, Yue'r. What brings you here?"
"I came to ask about the man Grandmother brought into our clan," Luo Yue said without hesitation. "Who is he—and why are we helping him?"
Her words rang clearly through the hall, bold and without apology.
A long pause followed as the elders exchanged glances. Then, at last, Luo Yin leaned forward slightly before she spoke.
