[Lavinia's POV—Imperial Palace—Grand Banquet Hall]
A pause. Silence thickened like smoke over the banquet hall.
Then my voice—sharp, steady, thunder wrapped in silk—split it apart: "BUT I WILL RAISE YOUR TAXES TO NINETY-FIVE PERCENT!"
The words crashed through the chamber like a war drum.
Gasps erupted. Fans fluttered and stilled. Golden goblets slipped from jeweled hands and clattered against marble. Faces blanched, powdered cheeks paling whiter than snow. Rings and silks that once gleamed with pride now weighed down trembling fingers.
I leaned forward slightly, a sweet smile curving my lips, though my crimson eyes gleamed with something far crueler.
"Consider it… a reminder. Next time, the cost will not be coin, but your heads."
The nobles recoiled, some swaying as though the air itself had turned poisonous.
Then—like a ripple in a pond—they folded. Robes rustled, knees bent, and crowns of arrogance dipped low.
"Princess… please reconsider the decision… Princess, mercy!"
