Grace immediately understood that something was off, altering her performance as soon as she glanced at Liam.
"Master William," Grace said, placing a hand on Liam's forearm. "Your humility is inspiring, but you promised you wouldn't have shied away from praise."
From the outside, Grace's tone was full of concern. Her voice even carried a tinge of shame, as if it pained her to force such a pure soul to play into the dirty world of business.
Still, Liam saw and felt something Grace had made sure to hide from everyone else. Her grasp was tight, too tight, and her green eyes conveyed a loud, silent threat.
"Fellow Chiefs, I apologize," Grace promptly turned, letting go of Liam to smile at the merchants. "Master William's mind only has room for alchemy. He cares not for fame or unbecoming business practices."
That wasn't the first impression Chief Kent or Chief Leo had. They weren't stupid, but Grace's intervention had been quite timely.
