All eyes turned to the anomaly in their midst—a woman standing when she should not.
“What if this masked man isn’t a villain?”
The words left me before I could stop them, trembling yet defiant, breaking through the heavy stillness like shattering glass.
“Is it possible that he’s trying to reveal the flaws in our methods?Perhaps he sees societal issues and wants to create change by showing us the truth.”
A beat of silence.
And then, as if a conductor had lifted his baton?—
Laughter erupted.
Harsh.
Mocking.
Cruel.
It tore through the room, a symphony of ridicule that clawed at my skin, stripping me bare before their amusement.
But across the table, one man did not laugh.
Lord Hassan’s face remained unreadable, his dark eyes locked onto mine.
Silent.Inscrutable.
A flicker of something passed between us—something unspoken that sent a shiver down my spine.
“Good gods, Elizabeth,” my father spat, his voice thick with disdain.
The laughter ceased at once.
His gaze burned through me, devoid of warmth, devoid of anything but cold, absoluteauthority.
“What twisted tales have you been filling your mind with?”
His voice was deceptively calm—too calm.The kind of calm that preceded a storm.
“Where could you have possibly conjured up such a ludicrous notion?Have you been reading treasonous literature, hmm?”
The sneer curled my father’s lips as he leaned forward.
“Books of seditious libel?”
His snort reverberated through the hall, a sound not unlike an enraged bull, nostrils flaring, braced to charge.
Heat seared my cheeks, the blood pounding in my ears as though trying to drown out their scorn.
“I don’t read treasonous books, Father,” I muttered, the words barely audible above the low rumble of their continued mirth.“I’m a good and honorable woman.”
The declaration tasted bitter on my tongue; an admission meant to pacify rather than convince.
My father waved dismissively, already turning back to his loyal cohorts.“Leave the serious matters to the men.You’ve been reading too much tomfoolery.”
And just like that?—
The laughter rose again.
