Right before their very eyes, a divine miracle happened.
The King's shriveled, dying body rapidly began to heal. His pale, grey skin flushed with healthy, vibrant color. His thin, weak arms suddenly filled out with thick, powerful muscles. His deep wrinkles vanished, and his breathing went from weak gasps to deep, powerful breaths.
In a matter of seconds, the dying old man looked like a strong, healthy warrior in the absolute prime of his life.
The King slowly opened his eyes. They glowed with intense, renewed power. He sat up in his bed, looking at his own hands in pure disbelief. He clenched his fists, feeling the explosive strength coursing through his veins.
The entire Grand Bedchamber went completely dead silent. You could hear a pin drop.
The King slowly opened his eyes. They glowed with intense, renewed power. He sat up in his bed, looking at his own hands in pure disbelief. He clenched his fists, feeling the explosive strength coursing through his veins.
The entire Grand Bedchamber went completely dead silent. You could hear a pin drop.
The mocking smiles on the step-brothers' faces completely shattered. Their jaws dropped so far they almost hit the floor.
The 4th and 5th Mistresses turned completely pale, trembling like leaves in a storm. They had just brutally abused the Prince who single-handedly saved the King.
Queen Isolde stumbled backward, her hands covering her mouth in pure horror.
'Impossible... this is impossible! No healer in the world could cure him! How did that useless brat do this?!'
Prince Kaelen's arrogant face twisted into a look of absolute panic and rage. His eyes were wide with shock as he stared at his healthy father. His guaranteed path to the throne had just been completely destroyed in five seconds.
Caspian slowly turned around to face his shocked, terrified family. He crossed his arms, standing tall next to the cured King.
"So," Caspian smirked, his voice echoing loudly in the silent room. "Who is the pathetic idiot now?"
The King sat on the edge of his bed, flexing his newly healed, muscular arms. He took a deep breath, completely amazed by his own restored vitality.
Prince Kaelen, however, was violently shaking with disbelief and rage. He pointed a trembling finger at Caspian.
"This is impossible!" Kaelen roared, his voice echoing in the silent room. "Even the greatest Alchemist in the entire Kingdom, Elara Valmont, checked Father and said he could not be cured! How the hell did a useless failure like you manage to do this?! Where did you get that potion?!"
Smug and completely relaxed.
His face twisted into a look of absolute, untouchable arrogance. He looked down on his older brother like Kaelen was a pathetic insect.
"Time and luck were simply on my side, brother," Caspian lied smoothly, projecting his voice so everyone in the room could hear. "And as for the genius who brewed this miraculous potion... that person has already sworn loyalty and is now working directly under my command"
The room collectively gasped.
If Caspian was telling the truth, it meant he controlled someone who possessed alchemy skills far greater than Matriarch Elara Valmont. To the royal family, having an asset like that meant Caspian now held ultimate, absolute power. The step-brothers and mistresses who had just abused him suddenly felt a freezing chill run down their spines.
The King stood up from his bed. He walked over to Caspian and placed a heavy, warm hand on his son's shoulder.
"Caspian, my brilliant son," the King praised him, his voice booming with pride. "You have brought me back from the edge of death. You proved your absolute loyalty and showed true competence when the rest of these vultures were just waiting for me to die. You are a true pride of the royal bloodline"
Caspian bowed his head, a wicked smile hidden on his face. "Thank you, Father."
"For such an unprecedented miracle, you deserve a reward that matches your deed," the King announced loudly. He turned to look at the terrified crowd, his eyes landing on Caspian's mother. "Vivienne, step forward"
Vivienne, trembling with shock, slowly walked forward and bowed.
"From this day forward," the King declared, his voice carrying the absolute weight of royal law, "I officially declare Lady Vivienne as my Main Wife and the First Queen of the Oakhaven Kingdom!"
For decades, she had walked around with an arrogant, untouchable smirk, believing she owned the Kingdom.
Her face completely shattered into pure hysteria, panic, and explosive rage. Her eyes bulged, and her face turned purple.
"No! This cannot happen!" Queen Isolde shrieked at the top of her lungs, completely losing her royal dignity. "Are you insane?! You cannot replace me with that cheap, low-born whore! I am your Queen! I am the mother of Kaelen, your S-Rank heir! You cannot do this to me!"
The King's expression instantly darkened into pure, explosive fury. The heavy, suffocating aura of a fully healed, prime-stage warrior erupted from his body, cracking the marble floor beneath his feet.
"Shut your mouth!" the King roared, his voice shaking the walls. He glared down at Isolde with killing intent. "Do you know who you are talking to, woman?! I am the King! My word is absolute law! If you dare disrespect my decisions again, I will strip you of your noble title entirely and throw you in the dungeon!"
Queen Isolde stumbled backward, terrified by the King's explosive wrath. She opened her mouth to scream again, but a heavy hand grabbed her shoulder.
It was Prince Kaelen.
Kaelen's handsome face was distorted with so much anger that his blood vessels were popping out of his neck. He wanted to kill Caspian right then and there. But he was not stupid; he knew he could not defeat his father in his newly restored, prime condition.
"Mother... stop," Kaelen gritted his teeth, his voice trembling with suppressed fury. He forcefully pulled Isolde back to calm her down. "Do not anger the King any further"
The other mistresses the 4th and 5th who had just called Caspian a "piece of shit"were now crying silently, violently shaking in the corner. They quickly dropped to their knees and bowed their heads to Vivienne, desperately trying to show respect to the new First Queen before they were executed for their previous insults.
In the darkest corner of the room, Princess Seraphina watched the entire scene unfold.
While everyone else was reacting to the massive shift in power, Seraphina did not smile. She knew the dark truth. Caspian didn't have a miracle worker "under" him. He had traded her life to a terrifying monster to get that potion. As she watched her brother bask in his fake glory, a single tear rolled down her cheek.
While Queen Isolde and Prince Kaelen were boiling with rage, the rest of the royal step-brothers and step-sisters were experiencing a completely different emotion: absolute, suffocating terror.
For years, the step-siblings had looked at Caspian with smug, mocking smiles. Yes, Caspian officially held the title of "Crown Prince," but behind his back, everyone treated it like a massive joke. Absolutely no one believed he would actually become the King.
Why? Because of Prince Kaelen.
Kaelen was the absolute golden child. Not only was he born to the First Queen, but he possessed the unbelievably rare S-Rank potential. Furthermore, Kaelen had massive political power; he was heavily supported by the wealthiest Duke families in Oakhaven and even backed by powerful Dukes from neighboring kingdoms.
In contrast, Caspian was not weak he had a very strong A-Rank potential but his bloodline was considered "dirty." His mother, Lady Vivienne, came from a very small, weak noble family.
For years, the step-siblings had been deeply jealous of Caspian. They hated the fact that a boy with such low noble blood possessed A-Rank potential and held the Crown Prince title. To make themselves feel better, they constantly bullied and abused him, confident that Kaelen would eventually crush Caspian and take the throne.
But right now, looking at the fully healed King and Caspian's wicked smile, their smug faces turned completely white. Cold sweat poured down their backs. Their knees began to shake uncontrollably.
The political power in the room had just flipped upside down in a matter of seconds.
"We... we are completely screwed," the oldest step-sister whispered, her voice trembling in pure panic. She grabbed her brother's arm, her fingernails digging into his skin. "Did you hear what Caspian said? The person who brewed this miracle potion works under him!"
A step-brother swallowed hard, his eyes wide with fear as he stared at Caspian.
"Kaelen has the Duke families... but Caspian just proved he has someone incredibly dangerous and powerful backing him," the step-brother whispered in absolute dread.
"To cure an incurable disease that even Elara Valmont couldn't fix... that means Caspian controls a monster! And now the King loves him!"
The step-siblings suddenly realized the horrific mistake they had just made. Just five minutes ago, they had called Caspian a "moron," a "piece of shit," and a "delusional freak"
"If Caspian actually becomes the King..." another step-brother whimpered, stepping backward to hide behind a pillar. "He is going to remember everything we said today. He is going to slaughter all of us"
They looked at Kaelen, their former protector. Kaelen was currently clenching his fists, completely humiliated and helpless against the King's absolute authority. Kaelen could not protect them right now.
Seeing the terrifying shift in power, the step-brothers and step-sisters quickly swallowed their royal pride. They desperately forced fake, trembling smiles onto their faces and immediately dropped to their knees, bowing low to the floor.
"All hail the Crown Prince!" the step-siblings shouted together, their voices shaking with fear. "All hail the new First Queen Vivienne! We sincerely congratulate you!"
Caspian looked down at his kneeling, terrified step-siblings. He saw the pure fear in their eyes. He knew they were only bowing because they were terrified of the mysterious backer he claimed to have.
Caspian let out a dark, arrogant laugh that echoed through the bedchamber. With Zero's potion, he had completely broken their spirits. He was now just one step away from holding the entire Kingdom in his hands.