Murphy continued, "Stuart Territory is not without these things, Your Highness. It's just that you've never truly seen them before."
"You feel uncomfortable because you're starting to realize you're stepping from the position of 'the protected' into the realm of 'allocating protection' or even 'deciding sacrifices.' You're beginning to see the cold side of how this system operates. You were once a part of it without knowing, and now, standing on the threshold, you've finally glimpsed the truth within."
Elizabeth subconsciously clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.
She couldn't refute Murphy's words.
"Then... what should I do?" she heard herself ask, her voice even softer than before.
Murphy was standing at the threshold of the doorway, where light and shadow met. The warm firelight from inside split across his form, leaving him half in light and half in shadow.
