Aiden's words hung in the air, and the tension between them thickened. Princess Lirael's gaze hardened as she crossed her arms over her chest, her stance shifting from wary curiosity to veiled anger. The night mist swirled around them, almost as if the Violet Mist Celestial herself was listening to the exchange.
Lirael's voice was cold and measured as she responded, "You speak with such confidence, but I wonder if you truly know the weight of the words you use." Her tone had sharpened, slicing through Aiden's charm with a precision he hadn't fully anticipated.
Aiden maintained his composed smile, though internally he was adjusting his strategy. 'Of course, she isn't so easily swayed,' he thought, but that was part of the allure. Lirael wasn't like the others. She was the key, and with her, the kingdom would follow. He simply needed to find the right pressure point.