Read Novel Full Chapter 654: Breaking the Pretense
Chapter 654: Breaking the Pretense
"Seira, there’s something I want to ask you," Aldrian said abruptly.
Seira looked up. "What is it?"
Aldrian smiled, his expression oddly meaningful.
"If one day I were to wrong you... would you be able to forgive me?"
His vague question made Seira frown. Still, she didn’t think too deeply about it and replied indifferently, "Isn’t it obvious? Just like when you stabbed me before."
Aldrian’s smile froze. A wave of overwhelming shame washed over him, and the cutlery in his hand trembled slightly.
But he quickly composed himself and pleaded, "About that... could you... forget it? I know I’m at fault, and it’s incredibly shameless of me to ask for forgiveness after what I did. But... I really didn’t mean to do it, Seira. Could you forgive me?"
Looking at his pleading face, Seira suddenly felt an intense wave of disgust.
He had stabbed her. He had nearly killed her.
If Nolan hadn’t arrived in time, she would have been dead by now. And yet, he was now shamelessly asking her to forget it.
This was the first time she had ever seen someone so utterly shameless.
The relief of rejecting this engagement from the start made her feel lighter.
"Unfortunately, I can’t," Seira said with a snort. "Forgiving you would mean forgetting everything. How could I do that?"
She stood up and placed her cutlery down.
"To be honest, I’m leaving tonight. So just forget it, Aldrian. There’s no engagement between us."
Just as she was about to walk away, Aldrian’s cold voice suddenly cut through the silence.
"Leaving? Do you think I’ll just let you go like that?"
His sudden words startled Seira. Before she could react, a violent dizziness swept over her. Her body went limp, and her breathing turned ragged.
"W-What... what’s happening!?" she cried in fear.
She slumped back into her chair. Her vision blurred, and a sharp pain throbbed through her head.
"Seira, you’re truly stubborn," Aldrian said with a quiet chuckle as he stood up. "Did you really think I’d let you walk away? Hahaha... you’re so naive."
The tenderness in his eyes vanished, replaced by a cold, obsessive stare.
"You’ve fallen into my trap. In fact, this dinner was planned from the very beginning... to make you mine. Hehehe..."
Seira’s eyes widened as realization struck. Her body trembled as she stammered, "Don’t tell me... you drugged me!? Aldrian, you bastard!"
"Hahaha! So what if I am?" Aldrian laughed loudly. "From the very beginning, you’re the one who started this! If you hadn’t rejected me, none of this would’ve happened!"
His voice rose, filled with madness. It was as if the tenderness he had once shown, along with his fawning attitude, had never existed at all.
What that mysterious voice said was true—Seira had never loved him. No matter how hard Aldrian tried to get close to her or show her affection, it had all been in vain.
Thinking about how foolish he had been made Aldrian want to slap himself.
But it didn’t matter anymore. In the end, Seira would belong to him forever.
"Aldrian... you... bastard..."
The moment those words left her lips, her consciousness was yanked away by an invisible force. Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed unconscious.
Now only Aldrian remained. Seeing that Seira had fainted, he knew it was time to act.
"Why are you just standing there? Come on, hurry up and do it!"
That voice, which he hadn’t heard in a long time, finally spoke again.
Aldrian smirked and replied casually, "Why the rush? Take it easy. Isn’t the best dish meant to be enjoyed in the best setting? Doing it here would be a waste. I’ll book a private room at the finest inn in the capital."
He had never slept with a woman before. Tonight would be his first time.
And it would be with the woman he had longed for since childhood. Everything had to be perfect.
The voice said nothing, as if agreeing with him.
Not long after, Aldrian ordered a server to help carry Seira to the most luxurious inn in the city.
At first, the server panicked and refused. But under Aldrian’s threats and coercion, he had no choice but to obey.
...
Four kilometers from the coastal waters of the Ancient Kingdom of Eron...
That night, the sea looked beautiful beneath the vast night sky. Seabirds circled above, forming a breathtaking sight.
However, in the distance, three dark silhouettes could be seen clearly on the horizon.
As they drew closer, their shapes became unmistakable. They were massive warships.
Each ship stood nearly thirty meters tall and stretched sixty meters in length. Flying above them was a flag bearing a black sun with a sword at its center.
It was the war banner of the eastern region of the Great Velmora Empire.
Although the four Dukes were still required to obey the imperial palace, in reality, each of them commanded their own army. Their forces were no small matter—they could reach hundreds of thousands.
Of course, such armies could only be maintained with the palace’s permission. That was why, whenever the empire was attacked, they were still obligated to mobilize their troops and provide support.
At that moment, Elina stood at the bow of the ship, gazing into the distance with a calm expression. Yet the coldness in her eyes was impossible to hide.
She wore silver armor, and her white hair was tied into a high ponytail, making her look even more striking.
A soldier suddenly appeared behind her. "Your Highness, we’ll arrive in a few hours. Please prepare yourself."
Elina took a deep breath and gave a slight nod.
"Thank you for the report."
The soldier nodded and left.
Elina stared into the distance again and whispered, "Brother... wait for me. I’m coming to save you."
...
The Seven Lights Inn...
As one of the most prestigious inns in the capital, Seven Lights was often visited by people of high status.
The inn was usually bustling and never quiet. But this time, for the first time in its history, the place was eerily silent.
Although the lights on all four floors were still shining brightly, no one could be seen except the staff.
All of this was because of one person—Aldrian.
He walked up to the top floor and stopped in front of Room 112. The moment he opened the door, the room’s luxurious and private interior greeted him.
But it wasn’t the room’s elegance that made his blood boil.
It was the woman writhing on the bed.
She was breathtakingly beautiful. Every movement carried an irresistible allure, making Aldrian’s heart pound wildly.
He stepped closer and murmured with obsession, "Tonight, you will be mine, Seira."
The dream he had clung to for more than a decade was finally about to come true. That white moonlight he had always admired would soon belong to him.
His desire burned fiercely. He hurriedly threw off his robe, revealing a slender body that wasn’t particularly muscular.
Even so, to some people, it still looked quite decent.
However, just as his hand reached for his pants to undo them, a mocking voice suddenly rang out behind him.
"So this is the First Prince of the Ancient Kingdom of Eron? How amusing. He’s actually trying to rape his own fiancée. If everyone in the capital saw this, what do you think would happen? It would be quite the spectacle, wouldn’t it?"