Crownless Reincarnation: New World? Nah I'd win-Chapter 39: Engagement [6]

And...

How Lucien treated him.

Even though it was Asher who had a grudge against Lucien, Akamir still felt thrilled messing with him.

'Asher's lingering feelings.' He guessed.

"In case you're wondering," Akamir said coolly, "yes. It's exactly what it looks like."

Lucien's face twisted, nostrils flaring. "You bastard—"

"Careful." Akamir's lips curled up. "You're speaking to your future brother-in-law."

Inara flinched behind him.

Lucien took a step forward, fists clenched as he walked toward him. "You think after all this...you will walk out alive?"

Akamir tilted his head. "Don't you know she made the whole fucking Kingdom watch her choose me?"

He walked closer as he looked down, standing a few inches taller than him.

His voice dropped to a whisper. "Looks like you're going to keep your promise about giving your sister to me."

Lucien's eyes blazed with rage and humiliation.

His hands trembled at his sides, but he didn't draw his sword.

Not yet.

Lucien's jaw clenched. "You are nothing, and you will always be nothing."

"Maybe," Akamir said, backing up just slightly.

"But the 'nothing' just became your sister's fiancé. Seems like I'm leveling up."

Lucien grabbed the hilt of his sword as he began unsheathing it.

Knock!

A sudden knock made them look at the door.

A royal guard stood outside, looking at them.

"Your majesty is calling all of you." He said, his face stoic with no signs of emotion. "The engagement will commence as planned."

"Wait, what?" Lucien frowned. "Didn't Prince Aure leave?"

"It won't be him, Prince." The guard replied. "It will be Sir Asher."

Lucien froze in his place as if he couldn't accept reality.

"This is a lie!" He barked, moving out of the room. "I will talk with father."

The royal guard bowed toward them. "Please come to the main hall soon."

He walked away, leaving them alone.

Inara stepped away from Akamir, glaring at him.

"I'm sorry for kissing you out of nowhere." Akamir apologized, looking back at her. "It won't happen again."

"...No. It's fine." Inara shook her head quietly. "I guess we are even now."

"We are." He said quietly.

Inara drew in a deep breath as she walked closer to him.

"Shall we?" She said, gesturing toward the door. "People are waiting."

Akamir sighed. "....Yeah."

They began to walk back to the main hall in complete silence.

'Things have gotten complicated.'

Akamir let out a tired sigh once again.

The plans he had made had all been fucked over because of one single mistake.

"Inara."

Akamir mumbled without looking at her.

"Yes?"

"Remind me to never give any advice to you ever again."

She let out a soft chuckle. ".. Okay."

Akamir turned his head to look at her side profile.

She was beautiful, and there was no denying it.

But...

There was something else going through his mind.

"Hey, Inara."

She turned to look at him.

"Do you want to rule this kingdom?"

Her expression immediately hardened.

---

The engagement ceremony lasted almost an hour with the priest of Goddess Morana continuously blessing them.

'...It's such a pain.'

Akamir thought, raising his left hand to look at the ring on his finger.

It was beautiful, to say the least.

Akamir hated it.

Not because it was ugly. No.

But because it was real.

He sighed as he looked around the courtyard where he sat alone.

'If I go back inside, those fucking nobles will eat me alive.'

He was already tired of them in his last life, and even now, he had to tolerate them.

'Hm?'

Akamir's gaze shifted toward Nayomi, who kept staring at him.

He tilted his head. "What?"

"What are you planning?" She asked, staring into his crimson eyes. "And why did you ask Inara that question?"

"...Well, that's the plan now." He groaned, leaning back against the bench, hand over his face. "To make her the queen."

She frowned. "Why?"

"I don't want to be ordered around by a fat king." Akamir replied, glancing at her. "And I really don't like the current royal family."

She tilted her head. "So, you are uprooting them and placing a new queen who has submitted to you?"

"...."

Akamir just stared into her sky-blue eyes without a word.

This was enough for Nayomi to confirm her doubts.

She scoffed. "What's even the difference between you and Darvin?"

"That I don't want to use her as a puppet to rule the kingdom." Akamir replied, standing up. "And I'm sick and tired of ruling anyway."

Nayomi frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing." Akamir replied as he began to walk back to the hall.

"Are you planning to marry her?" Nayomi asked, floating along with him.

"No." Akamir replied honestly. "I don't want to."

Nayomi just nodded.

But.....

His steps slowed down as he noticed someone walking toward him.

Zaina.

"Sir Asher," she greeted smoothly, her voice low.

"Lady Zaina," he returned, tone flat but not impolite. "Did you come to congratulate me too?"

She tilted her head. "How does it feel being engaged to the girl you always dreamed of?"

"Not really thrilled." Akamir shrugged. "I feel the same."

Akamir began to walk, and she followed beside him.

"Your father." Akamir mumbled, looking at her. "Why did he do that?"

"Hm?"

"The statement he made." Akamir explained. "Announcing you as my second wife...."

"Why?" Zaina looked at him sharply. "You don't like it?"

"Answer what I am asking." Akamir said, looking down at her.

She pressed her lips together before she let out a sigh.

"I was there when Sir Darvin made the offer in the main hall." She began, looking down at her feet.

"He asked my father to say what he said in exchange for two mineral mines."

Akamir slowed to a stop. "So he sold your future for stone and dirt?"

Zaina didn't flinch. "You sound surprised."

"I'm not," he admitted. "I just thought Lord Erwald would demand a higher price."

She smiled bitterly. "Perhaps he thinks that's all I'm worth."

"Do you want to back out?" Akamir asked bluntly.

Zaina blinked. "Of what?"

"The second wife nonsense."

She didn't answer immediately.

"I can't go against my father." She mumbled softly. "At least not yet."

"...I see." Akamir mumbled, nodding his head. "Well, my offer still stands. Walk away from the engagement whenever you want."

She just nodded, walking away from him.

"Well, I guess we will see each other at the academy." She said, glancing back. "Goodbye."

Akamir kept staring at her back as she vanished inside the palace.

"Nayomi."

He mumbled, glancing up at her.

"What makes Zaina special?"

From what Akamir had seen, there wasn't anything that stood out about her.

'Sure, she is bold and all, but....'

What made her the heroine of the novel and the villain of the game?

Akamir couldn't understand it.

Nayomi kept her mouth shut for a while before she softly whispered.

"She is an Apostle."

Akamir frowned. "A what?"

"Think of her as a container that holds the divinity of gods inside her."

Nayomi explained, looking at him.

"They are like the mortal representative of gods."

Akamir thought for a while before he asked. "And whose apostle is she?"

Nayomi froze in her place as she looked up at the sky.

Her icy voice echoed within the place. "Goddess Morana."

Akamir's confusion only grew. "...How?"

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"In the game, she only becomes an apostle if certain conditions are met."

"Let me guess," Akamir muttered. "Getting involved with me is one of them."

"...Yes."

Akamir clicked his tongue in annoyance.

'I knew she was trouble the moment I saw her.'

He sighed as he walked closer to the palace.

'....'

He halted once again as his gaze landed on Darvin.... talking happily with the nobles.

From his talk with Zaina, one thing was clear.

'He wants to use me to rule the kingdom.'

Akamir slowly rubbed the back of his neck as he looked at Darvin.

He isn't seeing him as Asher's father, but.... as a threat to his freedom.

'A threat that should be dealt with soon.'