The silence that followed hung thick between them, not uncomfortable but dense with unspoken words.
Liora stepped closer, her voice cautious. "And if Norwain tries again? You didn't reject them outright."
Lucien's back remained to her as he spoke. "There's no power in rejecting poison. It must be kept near... studied, contained, and used when needed." He turned his head slightly, his profile cutting through the candlelight. "They won't be the last to come whispering offers. I need them to think I'm listening."
Liora nodded slowly. She had seen politics from a distance all her life, through rumors and gossip and the wrath of nobles, but standing here, seeing Lucien weave through the court's traps with such cold calculation, it felt different. More dangerous. More real.
She opened her mouth to speak, but the door creaked again.
