Chapter 5

I declared, "I hereby announce the immediate termination of Arthur's role as my chief bodyguard. Furthermore, both he and his accomplice, Anna, are permanently expelled from this empire."

My words echoed through the state-of-the-art sound system, reaching every single corner of the grand ballroom.

I spoke without fury or theatrical rage, and my tone was perfectly level, laced with nothing but sheer, merciless ice.

The entire hall plunged into a deathly silence. You could hear a pin drop against the floor.

The smug smile on Arthur's face froze instantly, morphing into a comical mask of shock. He shot up from…