Restraint like that wasn't common among kings.
"Then allow me to prove how genuine I am," I said.
And for the first time since we met, his expression didn't look entirely dismissive.
Not convinced.
But not dismissive either.
Which, honestly, felt like a victory in itself.
"How so?" he asked, his voice calm but carrying that subtle weight that made it clear he wasn't just asking out of curiosity.
"I will win this tournament," I said, plainly, without dressing it up.
For a moment, he didn't respond. Instead, his gaze locked onto me, as if he were peeling me apart layer by layer. It wasn't the kind of look that tried to intimidate. It was worse. It was the look of a man who had spent decades judging people's worth and had gotten very good at it.
