Chapter 146 - 73: Revenge in Progress

Chapter 146: Chapter 73: Revenge in Progress

In the moonlight.

Silence filled the room.

Lilia was asleep.

The girl’s face was calm and serene; with her eyes closed, she possessed an unearthly, delicate beauty.

Lucian’s fingers slowly moved upward, coming to rest on the side of her face.

He wanted to touch her, but was afraid of waking her.

In the end, his fingers drifted down to her long hair. He gently lifted a single strand, watching it slip through his fingertips.

Suddenly, a memory surfaced in Lucian’s mind.

It was a summer afternoon. He had woken from a nap and groggily wandered out of his room.

In the courtyard just outside, the light was brilliant. Everything before his eyes seemed like the surface of a sunlit lake, sparkling and bright.

He must have squinted, because his vision grew a little blurry.

He saw his mother sitting under a tree.

His mother was wearing the simplest of cotton-linen dresses, her long, golden hair tied up high.

She held a piece of fabric, learning to sew from a maid. Her initial movements were a bit clumsy, but she was clever and quickly got the hang of it.

A gentle smile was always on her face as she sewed, chatting with the maid beside her.

It was a familiar scene, beautiful and blissful.

Lucian no longer remembered what that maid looked like, but he remembered her name.

Sera.

According to Colin, they had bribed her to drug his mother, causing her to die in that fire.

Lucian vaguely remembered that his mother had been very good to her.

She had even said that once he grew up and was able to move out, they would be sure to take Sera with them. They could rent a villa in a remote town. The living conditions might not compare to the Royal Palace, but they would certainly be freer than they were now.

Lucian didn’t know what Sera’s answer was at the time, nor did he need to know.

Because she had already given her answer with her actions.

For a long, long time, his world had been filled with exploitation and betrayal.

’So...’

Lucian shifted closer to the girl beside him, allowing her to rest her head more comfortably on his chest.

’So... even if I’m just being used, even if she’s just seeing someone else through me, even if she’s only trying to achieve some goal by using me...’

’Since you’ve chosen to use me...’

’...then please, use me to the very end.’

...

Speed is paramount in war.

Lucian had never been an indecisive person. The only reason he hadn’t acted sooner was that he felt his power was still insufficient to contend with the other Nobles.

Even if he was only dealing with Colin’s faction, he preferred to be fully prepared before making a move.

After all, he would only get one chance.

In the past, he hadn’t cared whether he would live or die after his revenge was complete. As long as he achieved victory, he was willing to take his enemies down with him.

But now...

Beyond victory, he also wanted to survive this quest for revenge.

Under Lucian’s orders, his butler, Wolf, contacted several Nobles who were at odds with Colin, winning their alliance with concessions they couldn’t refuse.

They didn’t know why Lucian suddenly wanted to move against Colin, but it didn’t stop them from using this to eliminate a powerful rival.

After the attack that night, Colin had wanted to ask the King to dispense justice for him, but what had once happened to Lucian was now happening to him.

The King of Ovis had always been conservative in this regard. Years ago, he had allowed Colin to move against Lucian because of Colin’s powerful backing; now, he was naturally wary of Lilia, who stood by Lucian’s side, and didn’t dare let the matter escalate.

Besides, Colin wasn’t dead.

It was the sort of thing that would blow over if he just tolerated it for a while.

At this moment, Colin finally understood the powerlessness of being abandoned.

Fortunately, he wasn’t Lucian back in the day. He immediately went to the Nobles who supported him to discuss countermeasures.

But not only did he fail to get a solution from them, the Nobles berated him for taking matters into his own hands and moving against Lilia.

They had wanted to smooth things over and pretend nothing had happened.

That is, until Colin brought up the old grudge concerning Diana Williams.

The Nobles realized Lucian would never let them go. But just as they began discussing countermeasures, they found their enemy had moved faster.

Such is human nature.

When acting independently, they were always a disorganized mess, like a tray of loose sand. But once someone stepped forward to give them a common enemy, they would unite with startling speed to drive that enemy from the dinner table, hoping to claim a larger piece of the cake for themselves.

No one had employed this strategy before simply because no one had been willing to lead the charge, always hoping to reap the greatest rewards for the lowest cost.

Now, Lucian had taken on that role. All they had to do was cheer him on from the sidelines. How could those opportunists possibly miss out on a situation that was all gain and no risk?

And so, by the time Colin and his faction realized what was happening, their power was already being steadily eroded.

Every Noble who supported Colin was targeted and pressured to betray him, defecting to the enemy faction led by Lucian.

As for those who were too deeply tied to Colin to be turned, they were brought down with swift and ruthless measures.

As events unfolded, everyone was suddenly shocked to find that... at some point, an ever-increasing number of Nobles had flocked to Lucian’s side.

During this campaign to annihilate Colin’s faction, everyone came to clearly see the young Prince’s strength and backing. Most importantly, he possessed the resolve to burn his boats, leaving no room for retreat.

Even if one did not befriend such a man, it was best not to make him an enemy.

By the time the King and the other Princes realized that Lucian’s power had become unstoppable, it was already too late.

By then, Colin and the others who had opposed Lucian were either dead or broken, long past the point of being a threat to him.

Everyone assumed that after eliminating his enemies, Lucian would set his sights on the throne.

Several Princes tried to replicate Lucian’s approach, but none had his nerve, nor his willingness to take the greatest risks and put in the most effort.

Yet if they continued to oppose Lucian in their disorganized state, defeat was the only possible outcome.

Just as the Princes were on the verge of despair, Lucian sought out the Third Prince, Leander.

Because of his ruthless methods, and because Lilia stood behind him, the King of Ovis was extremely averse to Lucian.

To claim the throne, it wasn’t enough to bring down his brothers; he also had to overcome the man who was, in name, his father.

Of course, Lucian also harbored hatred for the King.

Ultimately, if not for his inaction, his mother would never have been reduced to such a tragic state.

He had never even thought of avenging her.

But the King was the King, after all, wielding power over all of Ovis.

Dealing with him would not be as simple as dealing with Colin.

Fortunately, Lucian knew this father of his quite well.

He knew what kind of methods were needed to deal with him.