"Your Grace..." The General bowed his head, acknowledging the truth in the Duke's words. Indeed, Seraphina had narrowly escaped a tragic fate. The man they encountered displayed no remorse or hesitation; he was clearly accustomed to taking lives. A cold-blooded individual would not hesitate to deliver a fatal blow.
Before the Duke and General could continue their conversation, the door to the study burst open, and the Duchess stormed in, fuming with anger. Her reputation for fierceness paled in comparison to her love for her daughter, Seraphina, whom she had coddled excessively. The Duchess could not bear to see her daughter suffer.
"This is your fault! How do you plan to compensate my daughter?" she seethed, pointing an accusing finger at the General. "Give me your hand! A hand for a hand! How could you fail to defend my daughter? You put her life in danger!"
"Enough," the Duke's calm voice cut through the heated atmosphere. "General, leave us alone."