Heena didn't bow her head in false modesty. She didn't blush or stammer out a humble denial. Instead, the corners of her lips curled upward into a sharp, undeniably proud smirk.
"I will take that as the absolute highest compliment, Your Majesty," Heena replied smoothly. "After all, it takes a certain kind of brilliance to survive a den of wolves and come out wearing their fur."
Hovering invisibly near the ceiling, the System peeked out from behind its own digital paws.
It looked at the Emperor—a ruthless, blood-soaked tyrant who had slaughtered his own brothers to seize the throne. Then it looked at Heena—a sociopathic, hyper-pragmatic anomaly who casually poisoned people and manipulated entire military factions before breakfast.
"Oh no," the System whispered telepathically, absolute horror dawning in its pixelated blue eyes. "They are bonding. The two most dangerous, unhinged people in this empire are actually bonding. The capital is doomed."
