I returned to the manor in a haze of exhaustion, my footsteps echoing through empty corridors as if each step carried the weight of my unspoken ambitions. Once inside my office—a cramped room lit only by the dying glow of an oil lamp—I collapsed into my favorite armchair.
I laid my head back and closed my eyes, feeling the cool leather press against my skin and murmuring to myself, "Damn… this is too tiring." In that silent instant, doubt crept in like ivy: the road to the throne would not be easy.
My thoughts darkened as I recalled the news: Raisa had likely conferred with the other noble houses. I could already sense that Gioffre would side with them. The letters, stamped with the seals of notable houses, spoke of their discontent at the idea that Laura—of mixed blood and uncertain pedigree—might one day be crowned Empress of the Seria Empire.
