"Miss Astrid... are you mocking me?"
"No. Believe me, Miss Iris, that was not my intention."
The silver fork clinked against the plate, reflecting glimmers of light. Astrid leisurely cut off a piece of steak, her long, black-stockinged legs elegantly pressed together beneath the table as she spoke in a gentle voice.
"The former king's crimes can no longer be atoned for. Since nothing can be undone, it would be better to cast aside what little sentimentality remains and consider carefully what the wreckage he left behind can bring to the kingdom and the new regime."
From Astrid's perspective, Iris's present course of action was rational and resolute enough. Had she shown even the slightest hesitation, another war between the Valeria Empire and the Kingdom of Velys would have been inevitable.
