Chapter 330: Aurelius’ Revenge
When Edmund summoned Lyra to the palace all those years ago, she had been powerless and had little choice but to comply.
Back then, under Edmund’s manipulations, rumors of an affair between her and Aurelius had spread.
But now? Lyra didn’t even bother to fake a smile. She simply tossed out two cold words—"No ti"—and turned to leave.
Raidor’s carefully asured smile froze. Straightening up, he watched her retreating figure, stunned by her blatant disregard. Yet, what could he do? Nothing.
With the war raging, nobles suffered far more loss than commoners. They had no leverage over the governnt or the military; once the shock waves hit, they crumbled instantly, without ti to recover.
The royal family fared even worse. While the governnt and military grew stronger, the powerless royals were little more than decorative mascots.
The Alliance didn’t need "gilded lilies" right now; it needed vital support in tis of desperation.
While many struggled under skyrocketing costs, the royals and nobles still indulged in extravagant, wasteful lifestyles.
What had once been refined elegance had rotted into excess, fueling the growing calls to abolish both the monarchy and the nobility altogether.
Edmund had no choice but to turn to Lyra.
He assud that since Lyra had tension with the military, she would accept his olive branch. But instead, she slapped him in the face taphorically—she simply didn’t care.
After a wave of frustration, King Edmund cald himself.
"Right now, no one can match Lyra except for that legendary powerhouse," he said, almost resigned. "She has earned the right to be proud."
With a sigh, he waved Raidor closer. "It’s been a long ti since I’ve seen Aurelius. Summon him for dinner tonight."
Raidor hesitated, surprised. "He likely won’t want to co..."
After all, they had treated him that way back then.
But Edmund only smiled, confident and assured. "I know exactly what Aurelius longs for deep down. He will co back. Go."
...
Lyra was preparing to dine with the adjutant and regint commanders of the Legion of Everglow when the royal convoy stopped in front of her once again.
This ti, it wasn’t the palace steward who had ignored Aurelius before. That sa steward now approached him with unusual, humble reverence. "Your Highness, His Majesty requests your presence."
Aurelius froze for a mont. This steward had always mirrored the king’s attitude—ignoring Aurelius as if he didn’t exist. Edmund disregarded him, and Raidor treated him like he was invisible.
This was the first ti anyone from the palace had spoken to him with such humility.
They actually needed him.
Aurelius’ cold, shadowed face twisted into a slight, cruel smile. He wanted to see what expression his dear father would make as he ca begging.
He couldn’t resist taking a step forward.
"Aurelius, today is Lyra’s first dinner since returning." Helion’s voice cut through the mont like ice, his gaze coldly fixed on Aurelius’ moving foot.
Aurelius turned to look at Lyra. "Ma’am, I’ve waited far too long for this day."
For this day—he had endured humiliation, betrayal, and pain. He had clawed his way up, obsessively driven, for this one mont: the palace coming to invite him back.
It was almost madness.
Lyra barely spared him a glance. "Suit yourself."
She didn’t care about one dinner.
Aurelius stepped into the royal convoy without hesitation. Seated in the car, his eyes narrowed as he stared at the back of Raidor’s head in the passenger seat.
It didn’t take long for him to guess Edmund’s intentions.
Thinking of the evidence he had gathered, a twisted, grim smile curled his lips.
In the palace, when Lucien learned that his father had invited Aurelius to dinner, he nearly lost his mind.
He stord straight to the queen. "Why is Father bringing that filthy bastard back? He’ll dirty the palace carpets! Everything here—every leaf and stone—belongs to ! He’s too filthy, Mother!"
Lucien’s voice trembled with humiliation and rage, his words spilling out carelessly. The queen frowned slightly, her perfectly shaped brows knitting together.
"My dear child, you are the crown prince. You must show the dignity that befits your position."
She gently embraced her furious son and whispered soothingly, "What belongs to you, no one can take away."
Lucien growled through clenched teeth, "Filthy things should stay where they belong—like with the Legion of Everglow. They’re just a pack of thugs."
He couldn’t forget the humiliation of being dealt with by Lyra. Worst of all, when he returned to ask his father for justice, Edmund had scolded him instead.
His mother patted his back reassuringly. "Enough. Show your composure as the crown prince. We must attend the dinner now."
Lucien’s face twisted with disgust as he spat out his words. "Just thinking about sitting at the sa table as that filth makes
want to vomit."
The queen listened indulgently to his complaints. As long as he refrained from foul language, she let him say what he pleased—after all, she shared the sa opinion.
...
At dinner, Lucien could barely hide his contempt as he glared at Aurelius’ strikingly handso face. He couldn’t resist a jab. "Dear brother, you’ve been away from the palace for so long. You must miss these delicacies."
"Not particularly," Aurelius replied calmly. Maintaining perfect royal etiquette, he dabbed his mouth with a napkin before setting down his utensils.
Then he turned his gaze to Lucien. "But you, Lucien, should cherish these als while you can. After all, the plan to abolish the royalty is already on the table."
His words landed like a stone, and he relished the sight of their faces darkening.
Lucien imdiately lost control. "Thousands of years ago, our ancestors led those commoners to establish the Alliance! Those commoners—what right do they—"
"Lucien!" Edmund cut him off sharply. He turned his weary gaze to Aurelius and let out a heavy sigh, looking older and more worn than ever.
"Aurelius, I know you hate . But you cannot change the fact that you were born royal. If the monarchy falls, the honor you take pride in will vanish, too. I’m sorry for the past—I truly am. I will do whatever it takes to nd this, as long as you set aside your grievances and help us through this crisis."
For a king, such words—spoken so humbly—were already an enormous concession.
To Aurelius, it was music sweeter than anything in the world.
Before he could respond, the queen abruptly set down her fork, her voice sharp and haughty. "You’re the most exalted person in this world, Your Majesty. How can you lower your dignity like this? And for him?"
Her gaze flicked dismissively to Aurelius as she added, "For soone like him?"
Those words carried all her disdain.
Aurelius’ eyes glead coldly as his gaze swept over the queen and Lucien, who looked ready to explode. He sneered. "What’s the rush, Your Majesty? Are you afraid I’ll make unacceptable demands?"
Then his voice turned chillingly calm. "Fine. If you want
to set aside my grievances, it’s simple. Strip Lucien of his title as crown prince, and divorce the queen."
The fury on their faces was instantaneous. Even Edmund frowned deeply. "There has never been a precedent for an king’s divorce since the royal family was established."
"And there’s never been a crisis like the abolition of the nobility, either," Aurelius retorted with a cold laugh as he stood up. "That’s my condition. Farewell."
He turned and strode away without waiting for a response.
Raidor quickly led him toward the palace gardens, guiding him back outside. But before they got far, Lucien ca storming after him. Without a word, Lucien swung a punch at him.
Aurelius’ eyes flashed with a dangerous light. He didn’t dodge. Instead, his hand snapped up, crackling with blue energy as he lashed out.
Lucien—two levels below Aurelius—was flung through the air and crashed onto the grass.
"You—you—"
"You’re about to say, ’How dare a bastard like
hit you,’ aren’t you?" Aurelius growled, his voice dripping with fury. Years of suppressed rage erupted all at once. He stord forward and kicked Lucien hard, over and over.
"You beat
for over twenty years," Aurelius spat as he struck him. "And now you can’t handle a little payback?"
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