"It was my grave mistake, Your Majesty!" Ezra said, his voice trembling yet resolute. "I know I was too late to act—but haven't I always been honest with you?"
Claude's presence alone was suffocating, his aura dense enough to crush lesser men, yet Ezra stood his ground.
"I'm the one who investigated everything. I sent you the reports. I exposed the corruption—even though some of those people were my own blood."
His fists clenched tightly. "So give me one more chance. I won't be soft this time."
He raised his head, eyes burning with conviction. "Today, I learned more than I ever have. That sometimes silence speaks louder than any action. That I can't afford to trust blindly anymore. That I must always watch my back."
There was no wavering in his voice now. He meant every word.
But Claude remained unmoved.
He didn't need someone emotional or idealistic—he needed someone efficient, someone firm yet discerning.
