"I'm curious, Baron. What did you expect to gain by making me king?"
"One is Princess Eileen."
"Ah, that wretched woman? If becoming king is as simple as handing her over, that's a remarkably cheap price. What's the other?"
This exchange revealed Aiden's true feelings toward his sister.
He couldn't help but resent Princess Eileen, who stood in the way of his ascension. He likely believed that without her, he would already be king.
If given the chance, he would undoubtedly kill her without hesitation.
"The other is obedience."
"...What?"
"You must obey me. Do what I command and refrain from what I forbid. It's simple, isn't it?"
"You want me to become your puppet? You're insane."
Aiden glared fiercely at me.
Even if I had insulted him, Aiden couldn't execute me summarily. Not even the King could do that. As a noble with a title, I was protected by due process. To execute me for insult, he would have to follow proper legal procedures.
"Isn't that a rather low price to pay for reigning as King?"
"I won't forget this, Baron. Kneel and apologize now, and I might show you mercy."
"You don't want to be King?"
"That's none of your concern. I have a Prime Minister who wields power second only to my Father. Unlike you, a mere provincial noble."
"You trust him, Prince."
"There is no more trustworthy subject than the Prime Minister. Is our conversation concluded?"
Aiden rose from his seat, his face twisted with displeasure. He made it abundantly clear he had no desire to continue speaking with me.
"Prince, do not forget that this is your last chance."
"Last chance? Don't forget that you won't even get that last chance."
Aiden clicked his tongue sharply and stormed out.
I chose Aiden over Eileen to more easily devour this kingdom.
Making Eileen queen would be simple I just need to eliminate Aiden. That detestable man is someone I could eliminate whenever I pleased.
"But I can't guarantee Eileen will move according to my will. Seducing her won't be easy. Approaching her like Kyle from the original work would be too much of a hassle."
Princess Eileen was ambitious and capable, unlike the foolish noble ladies. A hasty approach could backfire, leaving me the one being manipulated.
"And I sensed it from our first meeting: Princess Eileen is perfect for humiliation."
As I awaited that day, I reached out to Yuria.
The evening after King Rapelli's birthday banquet.
Yuria entered a room in the Prucus Mansion in the Royal Capital. Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating the otherwise dark chamber.
She channeled her Mana, activating it. Her senses, sharpened since becoming an Aura Master, easily covered the entire mansion and beyond.
Antion and Gent were not currently at the mansion. They had returned to Utren Castle on the border of the Rapelli Kingdom immediately after the banquet concluded.
Countess Elaine was currently nestled in Yujin's arms, while another maid, Melissa, was enjoying a sweet slumber in her bed.
Yuria slowly removed her maid uniform, stripping off her garter belt stockings and sky-blue panties. Her smooth, naked body was reflected in the mirror before her. She briefly scanned her reflection.
Her gaze lingered on her pubic area, smooth and hairless. But it wouldn't stay that way for long. Her master, Yujin, had ordered her not to groom it.
She parted her legs slightly, revealing her pink vulva. As if on cue, a thick, white fluid dripped downward. The viscous liquid, dangling like a forcibly stretched rubber band, eventually plopped onto the floor.
Yuria wiped her pussy with a clean cloth, extracting the semen from her vagina. Though she performed this task regularly, she couldn't help but feel a pang of regret each time. But I can always get more next time, she thought, scraping away the remaining fluid.
Squish, squish.
After scraping out the semen with her fingers for a while, she wiped herself clean again.
"..."
With a blank expression, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her mind was a tangled mess a state she hadn't experienced in years, not since her mother, Nell Lins, had died.
Yujin kept her promise. Soon, she would embark on the revenge she had always longed for.
"Haa..."
She sighed. Today, her emotions were particularly difficult to control, surging violently within her. But gradually, her feelings began to subside.
Once she had regained her composure, she retrieved the clothes she had prepared from the shadows and changed. She donned black undergarments and form-fitting black garments.
These were the clothes she wore when she went out to kill. Though the outfit was quite revealing, she paid it no mind. Nor did she bother to conceal her face. After all, the only people who would see her were those already marked for death.
After changing and arming herself thoroughly, she finally tied up her silver-blue hair.
From the shadows, Yuria retrieved the Space Transfer Scroll Yujin had given her and tore it without hesitation.
She materialized behind House Helbrit, a castle that loomed over the city like a sovereign. Slightly smaller than the Royal Palace, the castle was fortified with high walls patrolled by vigilant soldiers, while armed knights guarded the main gate.
An ordinary person would find it impossible to infiltrate, but Yuria was no ordinary person. Moreover, she had already gathered detailed intelligence on Helbrit Castle, including the layout of its underground chambers and the exact number of occupants within the Duke's House.
"..."
Clutching a dagger, Yuria's figure vanished into the shadows.
Emerging from the shadows atop the castle walls, she wielded a dagger imbued with dark aura without hesitation. The soldier's head was severed, tumbling to the ground with a sickening thud.
Yuria didn't even glance at the corpse as she cast Shadow Magic. Small, sharp daggers shot from her shadow, piercing the skulls of the remaining soldiers on the walls.
Less than a minute had passed since she began slaughtering the soldiers on the walls and the knights guarding the gate.
Standing atop the castle walls, she gazed down at Helbrit Castle, mentally reviewing her plan. First, kill everyone awake soldiers, knights, maids, everyone. Then, infiltrate the soldiers' barracks and slaughter them all. Finally, eliminate the collateral branches of the Helbrit Family.
Today, House Helbrit will fall.
Yuria moved silently.
Knight Commander Golbrat, the strongest warrior of the Helbrit Family and leader of their knights, couldn't believe his eyes.
Awakened by the need to relieve himself, he had stepped out of his chamber only to discover a scene of carnage. Knights, soldiers, servants all lay dead. He retreated to his room, donned his armor, and armed himself with his sword.
I've seen over thirty corpses already, yet the castle remains eerily silent...?
A being of unimaginable power was systematically assassinating every member of the Helbrit Family. A chill ran down his spine.
What chilled Golbrat to the bone was the state of the corpses. Every single one had died instantly, their skulls and hearts pierced, or their necks severed. The most horrifying aspect was their faces utterly devoid of fear, filled only with boredom and apathy.
They died without even realizing they were dying! Who could have done this...?
He cautiously strode down the corridor, his eyes darting around. His destination was the area housing the collateral branches of House Helbrit. Whatever else happened, he had to protect those who carried the blood of House Helbrit.
"Is anyone there?!" Golbrat shouted, hoping soldiers and knights would rush to his aid. But only the stench of blood hung in the air, thick and cloying.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
He pounded on the locked door with his fist, shouting, "Lord Otleks! Are you safe?!"
Otleks Helbrit, the Family Head's younger brother, currently served as the acting Duke Helbrit. As the most powerful member of the collateral branch, he was a figure Golbrat was sworn to protect at all costs.
There was no response.
Not even a trace of movement.
Sensing imminent danger, Golbrat swung his sword, its blade wreathed in crimson aura, and cleaved through the door. He stormed into Otleks's bedroom.
Otleks was dead.
Not just dead his body had been hacked to pieces, his severed head twisted in a grotesque mask of pain and terror. Yet Golbrat couldn't afford to dwell on Otleks's corpse. The perpetrator of this carnage stood before him.
A beautiful woman stood before him, clad in a black, form-fitting dress. In her hand, she held a dagger stained with fresh blood.
To any observer, she was clearly the culprit. Yet Golbrat couldn't afford to treat her carelessly.
Her silver-blue hair shimmered in the moonlight, and her deep blue eyes held an unnerving intensity. She bore the unmistakable features of House Helbrit.
"Who are you? You resemble Duke Helbrit, Your Excellency. Tell me, what is your relationship to him?"
"Lord Golbrat," Yuria said, her voice sharp and clear. "You're afraid of me."
She met his gaze directly, instantly piercing through his facade.
"Answer me! What is your identity? And why... why did you do this?!"
Golbrat pointed his sword at Yuria. The red aura around him flickered erratically, betraying his inner turmoil.
"...My mother said you were trustworthy and kind, like a father to her. To me, you would have been like a grandfather."
"Impossible. Nell's daughter..."
"My mother loved you deeply. Before I was born, she considered you her only family. That's why she suffered so much."
Yuria raised her dagger. The black aura, flickering like flames, gradually solidified into the shape of a blade.
"An Aura Blade...! How did you reach the Aura Master realm at such a young age?! How?!" Golbrat roared.
Jealousy overwhelmed fear.
His opponent appeared to be barely twenty years old, yet she had already reached the Master's cultivation realm. Meanwhile, he, despite being over sixty, remained stuck at the peak of the Expert realm for twenty years, unable to break through the barrier.
"Unfair! How much! How much! I've yearned and strived to reach the Master's realm, and yet a greenhorn like you has achieved it! This is impossible! It shouldn't be allowed!"
Golbrat charged at Yuria.
Yuria effortlessly dodged his sword. It was laughable. She had merely revealed her Aura Blade, and Golbrat had already entered the initial stages of Demonic Heart.
"The Master said we could capture some alive and torture them for eternity."
"How! How did you breach the wall?! Tell me! Tell me now!"
Yuria dodged the incoming Aura and swung her left hand up and down. Swish. Shadow chains erupted from all directions, ensnaring Golbrat.
"Gaaaaaaah!"
Golbrat roared. His muscles bulged grotesquely as he shattered the shadow chains. He charged like a maddened rhinoceros, his reason abandoned.
Yuria effortlessly sidestepped him. Golbrat crashed into the wall.
Boom!
The wall shattered, sending debris flying in all directions.
"Before coming here, I considered doing just that. But seeing you now, I realize you're not even worth the effort."
"Master! Master! Master! How can I ever reach your level of cultivation?!"
A crimson aura erupted from Golbrat's entire body. Beads of blood seeped from his pores, dripping onto the floor. Consumed by jealousy and terror, he had completely lost his reason. If left unchecked, he would either rampage until death or be crippled for life.
"Before I knew it, I came to value my Master more than you, more than revenge, more than my Mother, more than even myself," Yuria declared, brandishing her dagger.
The aura-shrouded limbs of Golbrat were severed with astonishing ease. Instantly dismembered, subdued, and collapsing to the ground, he let out a deafening scream.
Only when he was on the verge of death did his senses return. He gazed up at Yuria, silhouetted against the moon, and murmured in despair, "My Lord has birthed a monster..."