"I think," Anna continued, meeting his eyes, "that if I move too forcefully, the backlash will only grow stronger. Nobles already believe I favor commoners. If I push further, they'll resist openly—and then even the rules won't be enough."
Her gaze shifted, distant for a moment.
"Change isn't something that can be forced overnight."
Edin clenched his jaw. "And while you wait, people keep getting hurt."
Neither of them was wrong.
That was the problem.
Listening from the side, I felt an odd discomfort settle in my chest.
This wasn't a simple good-versus-evil narrative. It wasn't the clean moral structure I remembered from the webtoon.
It was messy. Complicated. Human.
And for the first time, I realized something unsettling.
Maybe Anna wasn't maintaining balance just for appearances.
"As expected," Edin sneered. "You're always like this. Pretty words, no substance. Trying to deceive people with sweet talk that anyone can see through."
