But that complicated expression only lingered on Orion’s face for the briefest instant.

The next moment, she had already returned to that forbidding mask of hers, the kind that warned strangers not to approach.

As for Leon’s question, Orion neither confirmed nor denied it outright. She simply said calmly:

“No matter what my answer might be, Mr. Leon, I have to emphasize one thing: I love my people. I am proud to be a child of the Blazing Sun, proud to be a descendant of Apollo…”

Even though she hadn’t directly responded, Orion’s words still validated the threads of suspicion Leon carried in his heart.

That was—she was different from Fuyuan, the old city lord, and indeed from most of the Blazing Sun people.

This was precisely the opening Leon needed to begin building trust with the Blazing Sun clan.