The Grand Elder's gaze shifted slowly from Lady Isabelle to Lucas, then down to the vial that sat patiently on the table, untouched and quietly demanding justice. For a moment, the old man remained silent, his lips pressed into a tight line, clearly weighing the dignity of the hall against the grace he had just been shown. Lady Isabelle's charm was not something easily denied, and her manner had not only been polite but layered with an unmistakable nobility that even he, a man who had presided over centuries of assessments, could not ignore.
With a heavy sigh, he finally relented.
"For the sake of Lady Isabelle," the Grand Elder said, his tone still carrying the rigid formality of someone clinging to authority, "I will inspect the vial. But let it be known to all present that if what I find fails to meet the standards of this hall, then the boy's expulsion shall remain final, and this discussion will end here."
