Yerel sat hunched over his desk in his private study. The aftermath of the banquet poisoning had thrown the entire palace into absolute chaos, and the crushing weight of the investigation fell squarely on his shoulders. His head throbbed with a relentless, blinding ache, making him feel completely dizzy and disoriented.
He rubbed his temples roughly, desperately trying to anchor his wandering mind, but the exhaustion was a heavy fog rolling over his consciousness.
Suddenly, the door to his study swung open.
There had been no polite knock, no formal announcement from the guards outside, and certainly no permission granted to enter. The complete disregard for proper etiquette instantly rubbed his raw nerves the wrong way.
"How dare you come in without..." Yerel snarled, his voice sharp as he snapped his head up.
But the words died completely in his throat.
