Carloman froze, his fists clenched at his sides as he breathed heavily. The entire room fell silent, and everyone turned to stare at him. For a moment, Lina wondered whether he would explode with even greater fury. Instead, he kicked a chair out of his way and stormed out of the room without another word.
His two daughters had gone pale with fright. The elder instinctively drew closer to her younger sister, and the two clung to each other as though afraid their father might return and take his anger out on them. The Grand Duchess, meanwhile, behaved as if nothing unusual had happened. She rose calmly, smoothed her clothes, and bowed to Lina.
"I apologize for my husband's behavior, Your Majesty. Please forgive your nephew. He has always been a rather rough and impatient man. Once he has calmed down, I will make sure he comes to offer you his apologies."
