"Ants, you say?" The emperor loomed over Theo's words, his expression difficult to discern.
"So is it right for me to assume you have tamed an ant queen, Theo Merrick?" the emperor asked again.
Theo remained silent for a few seconds, which made the murmurs in the hall intensify. Then a steady, dominant voice soon cut through the noise.
"Your Majesty, the emperor…" the baron spoke.
The emperor turned to him with a faint smile.
"What is it, old friend?" The emperor spoke with an amused tone, but Theo could sense something beneath it.
It didn't feel right.
It was as if the emperor was mad or something. Not at Theo, the supposed wrongdoer, but more at the baron instead.
"I believe it would be better if we could have an audience in private," the baron said calmly.
"You dare make requests when you are being persecuted, Baron?!" the same noble stood up again and shouted, making the hall fall into restless whispers once more.
