They were angry, they were frowning, and they watched the spectacle unfold, but none of them had ever thought Marquis Grey would completely rip off every shred of respect he should have had for the person sitting on the highest throne of the Empire.
"I know what I speak, and I speak with conviction. I speak with full clarity!"
"What you are asking of me is a dead end. What you ask is completely idiotic, reckless, and stupid."
"If you asked me for my life, I would gladly give it if it were of help to the Empire. But what you demand of me is the lives of trillions of beings, which I simply cannot give."
"So, if I have to disobey the command of the throne, then so be it. I am doing it for my own conscience and for my own people."
After pausing for a moment, Marquis Grey spoke again.
"Unlike you, Emperor, I have different considerations. Not only is this about the people, but it is also about the Empire itself. I have a bigger picture in mind."
