Chapter: CHAPTER 159Asher received a report from Joseph about who had been involved in Alicia’s kidnapping. Before confronting Kaylery, they had indeed planned to plant spies around his office. "So, Kaylery and Waldric stabbed each other?" Asher’s voice echoed, breaking the pause in his office. A thin smirk stretched across Asher’s lips. His fingers turned the wine glass slowly, letting the red liquid dance along with the movement of his wrist. The dim light reflected on the surface of the drink, giving it a dark gleam that somehow matched his mood that night. Like this, waiting for a report while sipping wine almost felt like enjoying entertainment he had ordered for himself. Asher lifted the glass, staring at its color again as if reading something inside its depth. Then, slowly, he sipped it. "Then how was Waldric’s condition?" Asher asked unhurriedly, his eyes never leaving the tablet screen that displayed the brutal fight at Kaylery’s hideout. He leaned forward slightly, watching the moments wh
Last Updated: 2025-12-07
Chapter: CHAPTER 159Asher received a report from Joseph about who had been involved in Alicia’s kidnapping. Before confronting Kaylery, they had indeed planned to plant spies around his office. "So, Kaylery and Waldric stabbed each other?" Asher’s voice echoed, breaking the pause in his office. A thin smirk stretched across Asher’s lips. His fingers turned the wine glass slowly, letting the red liquid dance along with the movement of his wrist. The dim light reflected on the surface of the drink, giving it a dark gleam that somehow matched his mood that night. Like this, waiting for a report while sipping wine almost felt like enjoying entertainment he had ordered for himself. Asher lifted the glass, staring at its color again as if reading something inside its depth. Then, slowly, he sipped it. "Then how was Waldric’s condition?" Asher asked unhurriedly, his eyes never leaving the tablet screen that displayed the brutal fight at Kaylery’s hideout. He leaned forward slightly, watching the moments wh
Last Updated: 2025-12-07
Chapter: CHAPTER 159Asher received a report from Joseph about who had been involved in Alicia’s kidnapping. Before confronting Kaylery, they had indeed planned to plant spies around his office. "So, Kaylery and Waldric stabbed each other?" Asher’s voice echoed, breaking the pause in his office. A thin smirk stretched across Asher’s lips. His fingers turned the wine glass slowly, letting the red liquid dance along with the movement of his wrist. The dim light reflected on the surface of the drink, giving it a dark gleam that somehow matched his mood that night. Like this, waiting for a report while sipping wine almost felt like enjoying entertainment he had ordered for himself. Asher lifted the glass, staring at its color again as if reading something inside its depth. Then, slowly, he sipped it. "Then how was Waldric’s condition?" Asher asked unhurriedly, his eyes never leaving the tablet screen that displayed the brutal fight at Kaylery’s hideout. He leaned forward slightly, watching the moments wh
Last Updated: 2025-12-07
Chapter: CHAPTER 158Asher lowered Alicia onto the rolling stretcher. The nurses and doctors were already lined up, as if they had been holding their breath waiting for their arrival. As soon as the stretcher moved toward the operating room, the hospital director, who was a former military doctor who had helped treat Alicia in the helicopter, immediately joined inside.When Asher was about to follow, a nurse raised her hand, stopping him politely yet firmly."Sorry, Sir. This is as far as you go."Asher stared at the nurse’s hand for a fraction of a second. He was not angry, not forceful. He simply stepped back half a step, let the operating room door close, then chose to lean against the wall. His hands folded across his chest, his expression remained flat. But from the outside, he looked calm, like the surface of a lake, even though a storm was raging inside.Other people might have paced around or cried in panic. Asher instead stayed silent, calm, observing every passing second as if he could control i
Last Updated: 2025-12-02
Chapter: CHAPTER 157Alicia’s face tensed, her breath rising and falling as fast as her heartbeat. Cold sweat streamed from her temple, making her hair stick to her skin. She backed away until her spine hit the damp stone wall. The dark figure stood before her—his face hidden behind a mask, but the intimidating aura dripped so clearly that the room felt as if it shrank.“Le–let go….” Alicia’s voice cracked, sounding more like a broken whisper of despair than a request.Her eyes were swollen, tears pooling, but she held them back.The masked man tilted his head, a small movement that made Alicia’s blood freeze. A faint smile—though unseen—felt present from the subtle shake of his shoulders. He reached for a knife on the table, its metal catching the dim light and scraping against the walls.“Hey! Come on… let’s play,” he said softly, hoarsely, his steps heavy but steady.He twirled the knife between his fingers, as if showing off his bad intentions. Outside the room came the sound of footsteps pacing, othe
Last Updated: 2025-11-14
Chapter: CHAPTER 156The air in the room was damp, and the walls echoed with Waldric’s laughter—it sounded like iron scraping against stone. The dim yellow lamp above his head swung slowly, casting long shadows across the worn wooden floor. In that faint light, Waldric looked like the silhouette of a demon who had just finished signing a contract for immortality.The corner of his lips lifted, his eyes narrowing in satisfaction. “Those two wolves are too busy tearing each other apart, and meanwhile, I—” he pointed to his chest with a fingertip, “—am taking over their den one by one.”Laughter erupted again from his throat, deep and heavy. Jorge only stood beside him, his head lowered. He knew that if he dared to laugh, Waldric might take it as mockery. The man was too unpredictable.Waldric pushed his chair back, leaned against it, and tapped his knee slowly. “You know, Jorge,” he said while gazing at the ceiling, “everyone thinks I’m just a pawn, easy to sacrifice. They think I move without direction, bu
Last Updated: 2025-10-14
Chapter: CHAPTER 24The title Duke of Darkness did not come from a royal ceremony or empty praise, but from the blood-soaked land in the northern borders, the place where Rafael learned to live, die, and kill. At that time he was only fifteen years old, but King Tremos threw him there without hesitation.“If you want to be recognized as my blood, prove it at the border,” his father had said. There was no affection. There was no explanation. Only a cold command that could not be disobeyed at all.Rafael went, not because he obeyed, but because he knew it was the only way to survive in a palace that hated him, also as proof that he still had noble blood.He spent the next fifteen years in a way no child was ever prepared for. He chose to break through barbarian hordes until his hands felt numb, splitting open monster skulls while laughing softly, and staring into the eyes of enemy soldiers until they froze in terror. He even often looked at a sea of corpses when war broke out. Those wounds shaped him, crea
Last Updated: 2025-12-13
Chapter: CHAPTER 23Inside the palace meeting room, the nobles and high-ranking officials sat in a tense formation. The light from the crystal chandelier sparkled above their heads, reflecting shadows on the tall stone walls. At the end of the long table made of dark mahogany wood, King Tremos sat with a grim expression.Across from him, Grand Duke Rathore Mcrelwyn, a middle-aged man with perfectly styled golden hair, stared straight at the king with an unreadable gaze. His eyes were sharp, almost piercing, and his look was full of skepticism he did not bother to hide."I still did not approve of appointing Rafael as crown prince, let alone giving the king’s throne to him," the Grand Duke finally said, his voice calm but weighty. "A leader could not simply appear from the shadows after years of disappearing, then claim the right to the throne without being tested first."The room was instantly filled with soft whispers. Some council members exchanged glances, while others lowered their heads, trying to h
Last Updated: 2025-12-07
Chapter: CHAPTER 22Rafael stood tall before the massive mirror adorning the wall of his lavish chamber. His broad shoulders were cloaked in an outfit tailored to perfection, befitting his new title as crown prince. A sleek black suit with modern cuts hugged his frame, paired with a long crimson mantle that shimmered subtly under the golden light. The royal crest of Carlies, a gleaming gold emblem, adorned his chest, a symbol of the authority now officially his. Servants moved swiftly around him, adjusting the folds of his suit, slipping white gloves over his hands, and ensuring every detail was immaculate. Rafael, however, remained calm, unfazed by the flurry of activity. His gaze in the mirror reflected the bearing of a leader, though beneath his composed exterior lay a flicker of satisfaction he couldn’t entirely mask. It wasn’t just the restoration of his rightful title that pleased him—it was also the ruin of those who had once dismissed him. "Frederick," Rafael murmured softly, his voice laced
Last Updated: 2024-12-08
Chapter: CHAPTER 21Three days had passed, and the devastation in Hurbret was undeniable. Small villages lay in ashes, fields were barren, and refugees filled the main roads with despair etched into their faces. The air reeked of smoke, blood, and death. Frederick stood on the balcony of his now-disheveled estate, his sharp eyes scanning the empty fields below, his jaw clenched tight.Inside the house, the chaos mirrored the destruction outside. His trusted secretary stood with his head bowed, clutching a stack of official documents. His voice trembled as he spoke, trying to deliver the news delicately.“Baron,” the secretary began softly but firmly, “I’ve just received a report from the royal envoy. The kingdom is planning a welcoming feast for the new crown prince.”Frederick froze for a moment, then slowly turned with eyes as sharp as daggers. “What?” he asked, his voice low and filled with menace.“A welcoming feast, sir,” the secretary repeated, swallowing hard before continuing. “The new crown prin
Last Updated: 2024-12-05
Chapter: CHAPTER 20In the vast silver-toned chamber, Rafael sat in an armchair, holding a glass of red wine in his hand. The room felt warm, but Rafael’s mood burned hotter. A brief report from Caesar had just been delivered, and every word in it brought a wide smile to his face.He read the letter again, letting his eyes dance over the words describing the downfall of the Hurbret family. The collapse of trade guilds, attacks from wild beasts, and the growing number of refugees—all these details seemed like personal entertainment to Rafael. But the highlight was the description of Frederick, the once-arrogant baron who had now become a desperate man groveling for help to survive.“That coward truly is like a dog,” Rafael muttered disdainfully.He couldn’t hold back. A booming laugh erupted from his lips, echoing through the chamber like a victory bell. Tossing the letter onto the table, he swirled the wine in his glass lazily. “Utterly hilarious,” he murmured, his smile curling into a sneer.Rising from
Last Updated: 2024-12-02
Chapter: CHAPTER 19A week had passed since Rafael left the Hurbret territory, and chaos had begun to unfold. The once-thriving trade guilds collapsed one after another. Goods failed to arrive on time, and trading partners gradually withdrew their support. Meanwhile, wild beasts from the forests, which had previously kept their distance, began attacking nearby villages. Farmers lost their fields, and residents started abandoning their homes in search of safety elsewhere.In the grand but now hollow Hurbret manor, Baron Frederick paced back and forth in his study. The once-confident man now bore a somber expression, deep lines of worry etched across his forehead. Reports piled up on his cluttered desk, none of them bearing good news."Why is this happening?" Frederick muttered in despair, staring blankly at the scattered papers.In the corner of the room, Marquess Greyson Yrewich sat with a tense expression. His fingers massaged his temples, his tired eyes reflecting his growing frustration. As a landlord
Last Updated: 2024-12-01
