CHAPTER 217: BOLD LUCAS 2

The words struck like lightning. For a heartbeat, the entire hall seemed frozen, no one quite able to process the sheer audacity of the statement. Then came the outrage, louder and sharper than before.

"Impudence!" someone shouted.

"He dares speak so to the Counselor!" another exclaimed.

"Does he have a death wish?" came the sneer of an elder noble.

Even the Counselor himself looked momentarily stunned, his eyes narrowing in disbelief at the boy’s boldness. "You lack manners, you lack wisdom, and you lack any sense of self-preservation," he growled. "How dare you speak to me so? Do you not understand that I could obliterate you where you stand in the time it takes to draw a breath?"

Lucas met his glare without wavering, though inside he was fully aware of the truth. He knew he could not stand against the old man in combat. One strike from the Counselor would crush him into nothing. But Lucas had one advantage, one hidden card that no one in this hall yet understood...his ability to slip away in the blink of an eye, faster than even an ascendant’s strike.

And so he stood his ground, his calm defiance making the nobles angrier by the second.

All around him, the tension thickened, the fury of the hall boiling over. Behind him, Selene, Nyx, and Lira looked stricken, their faces pale with fear and humiliation, yet they dared not speak, for even they understood that the moment balanced on a knife’s edge.

The Empress, however, still said nothing. Seated high upon her throne, veiled and radiant, she remained perfectly still, her expression hidden, her aura unshaken. Only her silence filled the chamber, a silence that was louder than the noise of the hall, and it seemed to suggest that she was measuring every word, every action, every flicker of resolve displayed before her.

Lucas could feel every eye upon him, every ounce of hostility aimed at him like sharpened blades, and still he did not look away.

The hall boiled with anger, every corner filled with voices hurling insults in Lucas’s direction.

"How dare he speak in such a manner before Her Majesty?" shouted one of the nobles, his hand slamming against the armrest of his chair.

"He has no respect for the Empress," another cried, her voice sharp with outrage.

"An insolent child. To send someone like him as an envoy is to shame our court."

"He deserves punishment right here, in front of us all," a third added, his voice gleeful at the prospect.

The insults tumbled one after another, each sharper than the last, until the atmosphere of the great chamber seemed to vibrate with hostility. Even Prince Khan leaned back in his seat, a smirk tugging at his lips as though savoring the humiliation being poured over Lucas. The Counselor, still standing, said nothing but glared at Lucas with narrowed eyes, his aura simmering just beneath the surface, ready to erupt at the slightest provocation.

Behind Lucas, Nyx, Selene, and Lira shifted uneasily. Nyx muttered in a whisper only they could hear, "Why does he have to be this bold? Why won’t he just hold his tongue for once?" Her fingers clenched at her robe nervously, her eyes darting toward the Empress’s throne.

Selene, though more composed, looked equally unsettled. "He knows what he’s doing," she murmured, but her voice lacked confidence. "I just hope it will not cost him his life."

Lira leaned closer, her tone sharp with fear. "This is madness. Does he not see? They will not forgive him if he continues like this."

Yet Lucas stood there unmoving, his back straight and his gaze steady, not once lowering his head despite the storm of words around him. His expression was calm, even indifferent, as if the insults washing over him were nothing more than idle chatter.

Then it happened.

The Empress, who had sat in silence all this while, raised her hand ever so slightly. The gesture was small, but it carried with it an undeniable authority, and the effect was immediate. The entire hall fell silent as though a great bell had rung through the chamber. No one dared speak, no one dared even breathe too loudly. All that remained was the sound of the torches crackling faintly against the stone walls and the soft rustle of her silken garments as she shifted.

Every pair of eyes turned to her, wide with expectation. The Counselor lowered his gaze instantly, his rage tempered by her command. Prince Khan straightened in his seat, his smirk fading as curiosity began to creep into his expression.

Then, to the shock of everyone, the Empress rose gracefully from her throne.

A ripple of murmurs passed through the nobles, though hushed and hurried, careful not to draw her attention. The Empress seldom left her throne during hearings. For her to stand, to step down into the hall itself, was unheard of.

"She rises?" a noble whispered, astonished.

"She never does this."

"He is done for. He must have truly angered her."

"Her Majesty will crush him herself."

Each step she took as she descended the throne’s dais was slow and deliberate, her gown flowing behind her like a river of midnight silk. Her aura, though still restrained, was so cold and suppressive that it sent a chill through the room, making even seasoned cultivators shift uncomfortably in their seats.

Whispers grew around Lucas as the Empress walked toward him.

"This is it. He has sealed his fate."

"Her Majesty will not forgive such disrespect."

"Even the gods cannot save him now."

The Counselor’s lips curled into a satisfied smirk, his anger soothed by the thought that the boy would finally be put in his place. Prince Khan leaned forward eagerly, his eyes glinting with satisfaction at the sight of the Empress approaching.

Lucas, however, remained perfectly still. He watched her approach, his expression unreadable, his posture unshaken. Inside, curiosity stirred. What did she intend to do? Was she coming to condemn him, or was there something else hidden behind her veiled silence? He could not tell, and yet he refused to flinch or retreat.

Behind him, the girls were not so bold. Selene’s hand clenched at the edge of her robe, her lips pressed into a tight line. Nyx took a step forward, as though wanting to intervene but stopping herself at the last moment, her courage failing before the Empress’s overwhelming presence. Lira bit her lip, whispering in a trembling voice, "Lucas, please... don’t anger her more."

But Lucas stood where he was, eyes steady, his body unmoving, as the Empress descended the final steps and walked toward him with the elegance of a queen and the weight of a force of nature.

The hall had gone from chaos to silence, but the tension was thicker than ever, pressing down on every soul present.