She met her grandmother's gaze directly. "I cannot give the Su family or their political allies that kind of ammunition. I need to show my face. I need to show them that I am perfectly fine, entirely untouched, and ready to take my place."
The grandmother frowned deeply, clearly hating the logic even though she knew it was politically flawless.
"The Marcuset family does not give a single damn about the whispers of useless capital nobles," the grandmother stated, her voice laced with absolute arrogance. "If you need time to heal your heart and your body, we have the military might to buy you that time. We can completely shut the capital's mouth. You do not need to force yourself into the snake pit tomorrow just to prove a point."
Hearing that, Heena paused for a moment. She looked at her grandmother, her phoenix eyes dark and unreadable, and then asked a single question.
