(Scene — Minister Rhoan's Ballroom, Later That Evening)
The music swirled, laughter echoed, and the glittering chandeliers reflected off the polished marble floor. Chris and Amara moved through the crowd in their masks, quiet and observing, the cheap gifts tucked under their arms.
A glass of champagne — not for them, just a prop to blend in — sat in Chris's hand.
Chris (whispering to Amara):
"Watch this. Let's see how these little aristocrats handle real presence."
Amara smirked.
Suddenly, a rich brat, a pompous boy named Darian Velmont, spotted them. He was tall, flashy, and used to being the center of attention. His eyes narrowed at Chris, who seemed calm and unassuming in the corner.
Darian (loudly, sneering):
"Look at these amateurs pretending to be someone. Maybe they need a lesson in… proper style!"
He swaggered over, deliberately bumping Chris's arm. The champagne glass wobbled, then spilled across Chris's tunic, leaving a wet trail down his front.
Amara (eyes widening, whispering):
"Chris… don't…"
But Chris didn't flinch. He calmly set the glass down, wiped his hand, then looked Darian straight in the eye.
Chris (voice low, deadly calm):
"You just made the biggest mistake of your life."
Darian laughed, thinking Chris was bluffing. He leaned in, trying to push Chris back, smirking at the crowd gathering.
Darian:
"Oh? And what are you going to do, little man?"
Before anyone could react, Chris moved with lightning speed. In one fluid motion, he grabbed Darian's wrist, twisted him, and slammed him into a nearby table. Drinks toppled, caviar trays shook, and the crowd gasped.
Chris (gritting his teeth, coldly):
"You humiliate me, you humiliate the Empire. That's something you'll regret."
Darian scrambled up, face red with shock and embarrassment. He tried to lunge again, but Chris delivered a swift series of controlled strikes — enough to knock him off balance, humiliate him without causing permanent harm. Darian landed in a decorative fountain at the side, water splashing over him as gasps and murmurs swept through the room.
Amara (stepping in, whispering with a grin):
"Was that necessary?"
Chris (adjusting his mask, smirking):
"Necessary? Absolutely. Educational? Undeniable."
The crowd froze, staring at Chris, but no one could identify him. The masked stranger had just humiliated a rich brat and restored decorum — all without revealing the King behind the mask.
Amara (laughing softly):
"You do realize this is going to be the story tomorrow."
Chris (grinning, leaning closer):
"Exactly. Let them wonder. Let them fear. That's half the fun."
Guests whispered, ministers fumed, and Darian's pride was ruined, all while Chris and Amara moved away, blending back into the crowd, masks perfectly intact, as if nothing had happened.
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