đ.đ: One man down
Elysia's perspective
đ never had much of a solid opinion on King Zachary Aerelion.
Probably because, in the original novel, he was barely more than a nameâa fleeting mention, not an active character I could actually form an opinion on. Let alone hate.
He only ever came up when Elysia reminisced about her adolescent years in Caelondria.
Though he wasn't the main source of the pain she endured growing up in the palaceâas I came to realize after waking up in her body and sifting through her memoriesâhe still played a part in the quiet heartbreak that shaped her.
You see, King Zachary Aerelion was what you'd call a major simpâfor his wife.
They were childhood sweethearts, practically made for each other, which was rare in the world of nobles and arranged marriages.
Even after she bore him two sons, his passion for his queen never dulled. If anything, it burned even brighter. They were inseparable. Intoxicatingly so.
Then came their third childâElysia.
But when it was time to bring her into the world, tragedy struck.
The queen died in childbirth, and with her departure, the empire lost its beloved moon. Elysia survived⊠but sometimes I wondered if that should've happened.
Not because her life wasn't worth it, but because of the price she paid to exist.
She became the living embodiment of their grief. Her brothers scorned her. Her fatherâKing Zacharyâcouldn't even bear to look at her.
And as I stood before him now, seated tall and regal on his gilded throne, gazing down on me with eyes like frozen steel, I thought I should hate him.
I should loathe himâfor every year he chose neglect over nurture. For every time he let his sons belittle her. For every moment he allowed the palace staff to treat her like an afterthought, like an unwanted echo of the past.
But I felt... nothing.
Not hate. Not sorrow.
Just indifference.
He was like air to me. Present, but weightless.
Maybe it was me projecting. Maybe I was drawing too many lines between this man and the father I once had in another life.
Or maybe, I'd simply decided from the start that emotional tiesâespecially the kind that left scarsâweren't worth clinging to.
Whatever the case, I refused to see him as anything more than a shared strand of blood.
And I would never let his coldness hurt me again.
With my face composed and voice clear, I bowed gracefully and spoke, "My greetings to the great sun of the empire."
For a moment, the hall was wrapped in silence. Every breath stilled, and even the palace staff froze mid-step, caught in the tension, eager to witness the exchange about to unfold.
The stillness broke with the King's gravelly voice.
"Rise."
He spoke, and I obeyed. Our eyes met, and against my better judgment, I let my gaze linger.
I studied him.
The novel hadn't provided a visual description of him. But standing there in his presence, I knewâno words could have captured the magnificence of the man before me.
He was the very image of royalty, an aura too grand for anything less than a ruler of Velmoria.
His pale silver hair shimmered, catching the light even more brilliantly than the crown perched upon his head.
His eyes, though cold and unreadable, glinted like aquamarine gems under the radiant chandeliers.
The soft creases beneath them only enhanced his chiseled features, like age had kissed him but refused to steal his beauty.
It was clear nowâElysia had inherited her entire color palette from him.
But the thought soured almost immediately. So what if she looked like him? That had never been enough to earn her his love⊠or even the smallest trace of affection.
"What is the meaning of the report I received from Sir Benjamin? Explain yourself."
I told myself I wouldn't care about his disdainâthat I wouldn't let it sting. But some small, delusional part of me had hoped I'd be wrong. That, just once, I'd misjudged a man.
I only had myself to blame.
My gaze shifted to the row of attendants standing several feet from the throne. Among them was Sir Benjamin, eyes gleaming with smug satisfaction.
I smiled inwardly.
This fool has no idea the grave he's just dug. He's finishedâand I barely had to lift a finger.
Suppressing the amusement bubbling beneath my ribs, I turned to face the King once more. And instead of a rebuttal or defense, I erupted into tearsâbig, dramatic, perfectly rehearsed crocodile tears.
Benjamin wasn't just a fool because he tattled. Noâhe was a fool because he thought he could win against someone who knew how to play the mind like a harp.
And while the King's bitterness toward me still lingered, he was still a Kingâone who upheld justice with a blade as sharp as his tongue.
Sniffling, I dabbed at my eyes with an embroidered handkerchief. "I-I didn't know what to do," I began, voice trembling. "He barged into my chambers while I was barely clothed⊠just in my undergarments. I tried to get him to leave, but⊠he wouldn't listen." A hiccup escaped my throat.
"This isn't the first time he's done something like this⊠but todayâtoday he went further. He tried to touch me!"
The gasp that rippled through the hall was immediate and electrifying. The air thickened with shock and outrage.
"I didn't wait for him to get close enough. I struck him⊠in self-defense," I added softly, "so he'd leave."
The smugness drained from Benjamin's face in an instant. His complexion turned chalk-white as he shook his head frantically, drenched in sweat.
"N-No, Your Majesty! That's not what happened! She's lying!" he shouted, stumbling forward. His eyes burned into me with unfiltered venom. "I entered her chambers, yes, but Iâ"
"You did what?" the King's voice snapped like a whip, slicing through Benjamin's sentence. His glare locked onto him with the precision of a predator.
That was the moment Benjamin knew he'd made a fatal mistake. His eyes went wide with dread.
He collapsed to his knees, pressing his forehead to the marble floor. "Y-Your Majesty, p-please⊠have mercyâ!"
"You dared to enter the private chambers of a royal family member without permission? The Princess, no less?" King Zachary's voice echoed like thunder before a storm. Every soul in the hall felt it in their bones.
Benjamin shook like a leaf in a hurricane. "I-I was wrong! Please, have mercy! Forgive my foolishness, my King!"
But the King's face was carved from stone.
"Seize him."
Before Benjamin could let out another plea, the guards descended. He screamed, begged, clawedâbut it was too late. The King had made his decision. And it was final.
How does it feel now, Benjamin Gaetan?
You pathetic worm who thought you could terrorize Elysia and get away with it. Who made her feel unsafe in a place that was supposed to be her home.
Thank you for making it so easy, and I hope you suffer.
Soon enough, all the others who wronged her in any wayâthey'll join you in hell.
I'll make sure of it.
â
[Ding! Mission One: Put that impudent servant in his place once and for all. Passed.]
[Ding! +5 exp earned]
[Ding! Lv 0 â> Lv 1]
[Ding! New feature unlocked]
[Ding! Reward Class: C]
[Loading...]