Chapter 61 Mourning

• Dimitri
• Shaken but oddly exhilarated, I watched as Albert leave. Albert’s fierceness reminded me of my own rise to power. I let the look on his face wash through my mind and continued smiling.
• Albert had left me seething, but there was a peculiar satisfaction in the way he had stood his ground. I admired his defiance, even though it was directed at me. For a moment, I saw myself in him—a reflection of the same ruthlessness that I had always prided myself on. It was a sobering realization, yet it also sparked a sense of twisted pride. Albert had the potential to be as cold and unyielding as I was.