Boran stared at Liria with a sharp gaze, but in the end he only let out a low snort.
He was annoyed.
Deeply annoyed.
Yet he also knew—losing his temper in a place like this would only narrow his own room to maneuver.
"…Do as you wish," he muttered at last.
Liria watched him for a few seconds, making sure he would not erupt, then turned and left without another word.
The door closed.
Silence fell once more.
The oil lamp flickered.
Boran clenched his fist tighter.
Damn it.
He hated this feeling.
Staying still. Waiting. Not moving.
When usually, he was the one arranging the flow of the game.
And now?
He was merely a piece on the board, waiting to see whether he would be hunted down—or forgotten like some year-end meme that trended for a week and then vanished.
---
Meanwhile—
On the other side of Voss territory,
Lucas was in an exceptionally good mood.
A small victory was still a victory.
