'All The Stares'

"I can feel all of their stares."

Florian kept his expression neutral, his gaze steady, but the weight of the princesses' eyes was almost unbearable. Their scrutiny was sharp, calculating, and in some cases, downright hostile. Especially those stares—Camilla and Scarlett, who just moments ago had been aiming thinly veiled insults at him, now looked at him as if he held the key to their futures. Their sudden change in demeanor wasn't lost on him, though it only annoyed him further.

It was a big decision, after all. The role Heinz had thrust upon him was significant, and Florian couldn't deny that it shifted his position within the court. He was no longer just the foreign prince, Heinz's loyal shadow, or the man others pitied for chasing after the king's favor. This was different—this gave him something new. Authority. Influence.

And while that should have felt like a victory, it didn't.