Reincarnated As The Villainess's Son-Chapter 537: A Hopeless World [8] [King Who Sold His Kingdom]

Chapter 537: A Hopeless World [8] [King Who Sold His Kingdom]

[Vendrick Continent, Home of Werewolves.]

A dark misty cloud covered the sky of the now-renamed Arisha Kingdom.

In the deep winters of Vendrick, the atmosphere had always been dark but not this dark.

The kingdom had just been inherited by the newly crowned Amaury.

And for the first time, the new king was going to address his citizens.

---

Amaury stood with a blank stare in front of a mirror.

He was well dressed, so much so one would think he was an emperor rather than a king.

The crown rested on a table nearby; he hadn’t put it on yet.

Amaury shifted his gaze to the jewelry and accessories he wore.

He closed his eyes, got a hold of his feelings, and opened them again.

But this time, there was someone else standing by his side.

A man wearing a cloak made Amaury turn around to look at him.

"How are things going?" He asked, tilting his head.

"I have most of them under my control." Amaury said. "The duke’s family has been a problem, but taking their daughters was enough to tame them."

The cloaked man did not react with surprise, disgust, or praise.

"And the others?" he asked.

"The northern clans bent the knee the moment my father died," Amaury replied, adjusting the cuff of his sleeve with slow precision.

"They feared instability more than they disliked me. The eastern houses only care about trade routes. As long as their caravans move, they don’t care who sits on the throne."

"And the duke’s family?"

Amaury’s reflection met the cloaked man’s through the mirror.

"They were proud," he said quietly. "Too proud to openly oppose me, but too ambitious to accept me. Leaving them alone would have meant rebellion within a year."

"So you chose leverage."

"I chose peace," Amaury corrected, though his voice had cooled. "I am more surprised they care about their family members."

"And what are your plans for their daughters?"

"I would be getting them with child soon." He said, though there was no excitement in his voice.

"Once the duke thinks they have a chance of getting their blood on the throne, they will become obedient immediately."

"....."

The man didn’t say anything as he only nodded his head.

A knock came at the door. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"Your Majesty," a voice called from the other side. "The council and the citizens are waiting in the courtyard."

"Hmm."

Amaury looked at the mirror one last time, picked up his crown, and walked toward the door.

"How much longer do I have to wait?" He asked.

Amaury paused for a long second before he responded. "Not long."

Amaury stepped out of the chamber, the heavy doors opening with a low groan.

The palace servants lining the hallway bowed low, not daring to meet his eyes.

The man was gone, leaving Amaury alone once again.

As he walked toward the balcony, he couldn’t help but wonder. ’What is his end goal?’

Amaury was well aware that he had made a deal with a devil.

But he wasn’t sure what price he was going to pay.

’I don’t think all he wants is the blood of every citizen.’

Though Amaury had agreed to the price, that didn’t mean he wasn’t concerned.

’...It doesn’t matter.’

He drew in a deep breath and got his emotions stable.

’For now, I should focus on my strength and authority.’

Amaury’s gaze shifted to the woman who stood like a statue on the side of the balcony.

She was the eldest daughter of the Western Duke, Caitlyn.

Amaury slowed when he saw her.

She stood near one of the stone pillars, hands folded in front of her, posture perfect, chin slightly lifted in the way only nobles trained since childhood could manage.

The cold wind moved strands of her silver-brown hair, but the rest of her did not move at all.

She gave Amaury a hateful look as he walked closer.

"You are to stand behind me, like a traditional wife." He spoke. "That’s all."

A horn sounded below in the courtyard.

’The signal.’

Amaury stepped forward to the balcony rail.

Caitlyn followed his order as she stood a few steps behind him.

---

"Ladies and gentlemen, I’m your king, ruler of Arisha, and soon to be the ruler of Vendrick, Amaury Arisha."

The voice of Amaury flowed clearly into the ears of the citizens below him.

A huge number of people had gathered to see him today.

Most were welcoming, but a few were indifferent as they were not affected by the crown.

....Until now.

"I’m very happy and also pained to announce that we’ve eliminated the tyrant that was my father....."

".....His only achievement was keeping the kingdom stable, but he was a coward. He lost our ancestors’ land to those filth and half-werewolves. Because of him, we lost a lot of soldiers who should not have died."

Amaury let the murmurs spread before he continued, his voice carrying the weight of command without needing to shout.

"We survived," he said. "But survival without pride is slow death."

Some of the older warriors in the crowd lowered their heads.

They had lived through those campaigns.

What Amaury was saying was truth mixed with lies.

But it’s hard to detect lies when you are emotional.

"My father believed hiding behind walls was wisdom," Amaury went on.

"He believed peace meant shrinking, conceding, enduring insult after insult so long as the capital did not burn."

His eyes swept across the people; he ignored the elderly as his speech was meant for the young ones.

And he could see it was working.

"I do not."

The wind picked up, tugging at his cloak, making the dark banners along the walls snap sharply.

"We are werewolves," he said. "We are not meant to live like cornered animals, watching others take what was ours."

A low rumble of agreement moved through the crowd now.

Behind him, Caitlyn’s fingers tightened slightly over each other.

Amaury raised one hand, and the noise faded again.

"But understand this," he said, his tone cooling. "Strength without order is ruin. Pride without unity is civil war. And I will not allow this kingdom to tear itself apart."

His hand rested on the stone railing.

"So as the king of the newly formed kingdom," he spoke, his voice gradually becoming louder.

"I declare that the Vendrick Continent will become one under our name!!!"

For a heartbeat, there was only silence.

Then the reaction came.

An enormous cheer erupted through the citizens.

The chant rolled through the courtyard like thunder, striking stone walls and echoing back twice as loud.

"LONG LIVE THE KING!!"

Amaury did not smile.

His mind wandered back to Heather.

’I will make you regret not choosing me.’

The king who sold his kingdom was strong and ambitious yet pitiful.

***

[Aljanah Household.]

[Guest House.]

[Elijah’s POV.]

"Urgh."

Elijah groaned at the sudden pain that ran through his chest.

His eyes fluttered open to look at his chest where a deep scratch had been made.

With a tired sigh, he looked at the sleeping girl who was the reason for it.

Heather was unaware of it as her body curled around him like a cat.

Her arm was thrown across him, her fingers loosely curled as if she was afraid he might disappear if she let go.

Her breathing was slow and even, completely unbothered.

"...You fight like a wild animal even in your sleep," he muttered quietly.

He carefully lifted her wrist and moved it aside, sitting up on the edge of the bed.

The cold air of the room brushed against his skin, helping him wake fully.

The scratch wasn’t deep, but it had drawn blood.

Thin red lines crossed his chest, already starting to close.

He glanced back at her.

Heather had rolled onto her stomach now, face half-buried in the pillow, golden-brown hair a mess.

Elijah’s expression softened, he smiled and gently gave a kiss on her cheek before he stood up.

Taking his pants thrown on the ground, he wore them and walked out of the room.

The morning light made him more aware as he stretched his body.

Heather had come to see him a day before after talking with her grandfather.

She was worried that Amaury would try to kill him at any given opportunity.

’....’

Elijah’s mind was a mess at the very thought of Amaury standing opposite him.

"Why would you do such a thing?" He muttered as he walked down the empty hallway.

But it didn’t take long before he met someone he didn’t want to.

Kana walked from the other side of the hallway.

Her gaze immediately fell on his chest, which was still healing.

She slowly walked towards him. "Your girlfriend did this?"

"Ah...yeah."

Elijah mumbled, rubbing his temples because he clearly felt jealousy in her voice.

Kana stopped right in front of him, close enough that he could see the faint twitch at the corner of her eye.

"Fucking brute." She whispered in anger. "I would have been much more gentle with you."

Elijah let out a long breath. "Kana, not this early in the morning."

Her gaze didn’t leave the scratches on his chest.

They were already fading, thin pink lines where skin was knitting itself back together.

"She hurt you," Kana said, voice low.

"She didn’t mean to," Elijah replied. "She was asleep."

Kana crossed her arms. "You always take her side."

Elijah let out a sigh as he looked at her for a long second.

It was evident to him that she really liked him and there was no denying that he also had a special place for her.

....it was undeniable that they had good compatibility.

’....Still, I don’t think I should bring this up with Heather.’

"Is this bitch bothering you, dear?"

Thinking of her, Elijah heard her voice from behind him.

He found Heather walking toward him wearing his shirt.

She stopped right beside Elijah and slipped her arm around his waist like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Kana," she said, voice calm but sharp underneath. "You’re loud this early."

Kana’s jaw tightened. "I could say the same. Some of us let people sleep."

Heather glanced at Elijah’s chest, then at Kana again. "You’re staring a lot."

"I’m assessing damage," Kana replied flatly. "Someone has to."

Elijah rubbed his face. "I’m right here, you know."

Neither of them looked at him.

Heather leaned slightly into him, possessive without trying to hide it. "He’s fine."

"I would be, without you."

"Listen here you small fuc—."

"Am I seeing things?" Elijah cut them off, looking at the sky. "Or are those real?"

The other two also turned their gaze toward the sky.

A sky that was filled with white creatures moving toward Akasha.