The pain of seeing his daughter blatantly and outright lie to him was a fire-dagger to the heart. She wasn't good enough by far for him to not know -- he had grown up around the court, and while times were more genteel and civil, it only meant that courtiers needed to be more subtle in their scheming and weapons. Especially with how globalized Awatan Sathit had become, and with all the foreign influences. Intrigue and plots were as much a part of court as wealth and power. One lived with them and dealt with them as he could.
But then for his youngest child to turn that sweet, disarming smile on Zahira... Something shifted inside, and he gave Zuma a quick and narrow-eyed look of his own.
Expression recomposed without any sign of his previous sharp glance, Azhar said, "I see no problem in letting you go out while accompanied by an escort/chaperon."
He and Zahira would be having a talk of their own, later, away from Zuma's ears.