Claude widened his eyes slightly, masking his tension. Even Emmalise lost her composure for a brief second before offering a calm smile.
"Ah, you are indeed sharp, High Priest," she said lightly.
"He is my new royal guard," she continued smoothly, nodding at Claude as he stepped forward.
"His name is Louis Lamborg, the youngest son of the Lamborg family. He was originally meant to become a hunter, but he returned to Cortinvar not long ago."
Her explanation was simple yet sufficient—Claude's new identity, carefully crafted by Emmalise, belonged to a middle noble family: not influential enough to draw suspicion, yet reputable enough to avoid scrutiny.
And more importantly, it gave Claude the perfect cover to infiltrate the court.
Claude bowed his head respectfully. "Greetings, Your Holiness. It is an honor to meet you."
"Oh my, what a surprise," Orson chuckled, though a glint of suspicion lingered in his eyes. "A man from Cortinvar giving such a polite greeting to me."
