Chapter 541: Cancelling The Wedding

Ruby, Racheal, and Hazel walked through the corridor of the royal palace with faint smiles on their faces when they heard that Damian had called for them that night. After everything that had happened recently, they assumed he had finally decided to speak with them privately, perhaps even to settle the tension that had remained between them since the court reforms.

None of them expected anything particularly pleasant, but there was still a small part of each woman’s heart that hoped Damian had begun to soften toward them.

When they reached the doors to his chamber, Hazel pushed them open without hesitation. All three women immediately froze.

Lying on the floor in front of Damian’s bed were three figures, their bodies bloodied and battered, unconscious but still breathing. The sight instantly erased the smiles from their faces.

Their gazes shifted from the wounded prisoners toward the lone figure seated in the corner of the room. Damian sat calmly on a couch, sipping wine from a goblet, while Rin sat nearby, drinking from a small golden bowl. The two looked almost completely relaxed despite the gruesome figures lying nearby.

The women’s eyes quickly settled on Damian’s long white hair before moving down toward his bandaged right arm. Even through the layers of cloth, they could see the minor burn scars surrounding the wound and the unnatural stillness of the arm beneath it.

"Just come in already. Nothing will be achieved by standing out there." Damian said as he lowered his cup.

Three sheets of paper immediately lifted from the table beside him, surrounded by faint purple demonic force. They floated across the room and stopped directly in front of the three unconscious figures.

The girls hesitated before slowly stepping inside and shutting the door behind them. Their attention remained fixed on the papers as they approached, each woman cautiously reaching for one. The moment their eyes moved across the contents, their expressions changed.

The papers contained reports concerning Damian’s Abyssal inheritance and the revelation that he had emerged from his battle with Duke Dantalion in far better condition than their enemies believed. More importantly, the documents confirmed that Damian had acquired Dantalion’s inheritance after defeating him.

The reports also contained an urgent message directed toward Hagrid, warning him to abandon his plans of invading Velmora during the coronation ceremony. Damian possessed the Throne of Power, and if Lazarus chose to fight him outside Gildreach Vault, he would almost certainly be killed.

The three women snatched the papers from the air almost simultaneously, their eyes narrowing as they reread the information.

Rin and Damian carefully studied their expressions, watching every flicker of emotion that crossed their faces.

’Shit... They really know nothing about it.’ Rin sounded more annoyed by this.

Damian, however, quietly released a breath of relief and Rin immediately noticed it.

’I thought we were looking for justification to get rid of them. This is enough grounds to kill them all!’ Rin complained silently.

Damian remained quiet, his gaze fixed on the three women. ’Even if they didn’t love me at first, ever since I gained the ability to sense desire, I could tell they love me. It would have been deeply hurtful to realize they would go as far as trying to kill me simply because we are no longer in good terms.’

Bam!

Damian and Rin’s attention was suddenly drawn toward Hazel, Racheal, and Ruby as all three women dropped to their knees.

"We didn’t know... I swear we didn’t know anything about it." Hazel said hastily, her voice trembling as she lowered the document.

"I know we reshuffled your cabinet with people we believed were loyal to us, and that is enough reason for you to suspect us, but we really didn’t do this!" Ruby cried, her eyes already beginning to glisten with tears.

"No matter what happens, we would never go this far. You know that." Racheal argued, her voice carrying genuine desperation.

Rin’s face twisted with anger, but before he could say anything, an invisible force suddenly seized him from the couch.

He was lifted into the air and hurled across the room.

"YOU SCOUNDREL!!!" Rin’s voice grew distant as he flew through the open balcony doors and disappeared from sight.

Damian did not even glance in his direction. He simply leaned farther back into his seat and stared at the three women with a cold expression.

"Ever since we met, all I have done is uncover deceit after deceit... But I can deal with lies. I can overlook them. But what hurt me the most is when I found out that I was only a tool meant to protect your families. That’s why you three abandoned the Underworld and ran all the way to Earth to charm and turn the new Sin of Lust into a pawn you can manipulate."

Buzz!

All three women paled simultaneously. Their bodies instinctively shrank back beneath the weight of his words.

"So how am I supposed to believe anything you say if the foundation of our relationship has all been a lie?" Damian asked.

His words were met with silence. The three women could only lower their heads, unable to find an immediate answer. The accusation was too close to the truth for them to simply dismiss it, and they knew Damian had already uncovered far more than they had ever intended him to know.

After several seconds, Racheal finally opened her lips to speak, but Damian cut her off before she could utter a word.

"I know you love me now... It’s only natural you grew to love me as time passed, but of what value is your love?" Damian asked.

His gaze dropped toward his wounded arm. He reached up, grabbed the bandages wrapped around his right arm, and slowly ripped them away. The cloth fell aside, revealing his charred and lifeless hand resting against the bed. The sight caused all three women to stiffen.

"My soul has been damaged, and I lost my arm because the people you entrusted to serve me personally hid the demigods of the Order of Demons and a good number of their armies that attacked in the capital in hopes of saving your parents..." He leaned back and crossed his legs.

Buzz!

Hazel, Racheal, and Ruby raised their heads, their eyes filled with genuine shock. None of them had known the extent of what had happened behind the scenes, and the realization struck them with enough force to momentarily silence even their fear.

"I have suffered nothing but pain, losses, and betrayals from you three and your families. It’s already very clear that you are not qualified to be queens of this realm. That goes without question. The real question is why should I keep you three by my side?!" Damian asked calmly.

His calmness frightened them more than anger would have. If he had been shouting, they could have interpreted his rage as something temporary. Instead, his voice carried the detached certainty of someone who had already considered their fate.

The three women exchanged glances, their bodies trembling as they realized they were only one mistake away from being labeled accomplices and killed alongside the people responsible.

"Then we will step down as your fiancées for our mistakes, but don’t discard us... Don’t forget that despite all our flaws, we have always fought by your side against all your enemies, and we intend to continue doing so!" Hazel said, the pain in her voice impossible to hide.

"We will also help you bring down everyone involved in these crimes to justice to prove our innocence." Ruby added.

"If needed, we will swear an oath of loyalty to you and only you... Just don’t forget everything we have gone through together and cast us aside completely. We will be satisfied knowing we have a place in your heart, even if we cannot be your wives." Racheal added.

Damian’s eyes widened slightly, genuinely shocked by the decisiveness of their response. For a moment, he simply stared at them. Was this desperation? Fear? Or had they finally understood that their position beside him could no longer be taken for granted?

Damian leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "Why... The Sin of Greed whom Hagrid serves fancies you three... You can live a better life under him as his queens, so why would you go through all this trouble of staying with me?"

The three women were taken aback by the question, but they did not hesitate to answer.

"Your homes in California and Chicago, do you miss them?" Hazel asked.

Buzz!

Damian raised a brow in surprise before slowly shaking his head. He had an entire realm at his disposal now, a grand palace, countless territories, and enough wealth to acquire whatever he wanted. Why would he miss something he could easily afford?

"That is the same with the Prince of Gildreach Vault... His obsession for us isn’t out of affection but for the sheer purpose of simple possession. Once he gets us, we will lose value in his eyes faster than he gained us." Racheal explained.

"By the way, our families never cared for us, and Hagrid is no different. He wants to send us away to Gildreach Vault and take over Velmora all for himself." Ruby added.

"But with you, we have fun... We feel alive, and we feel loved... We wouldn’t trade this for the world, so please, don’t discard us completely. We will take responsibility for everything and help to right our wrongs!" Hazel bowed.

Racheal and Ruby bowed as well, their heads lowering until their foreheads nearly touched the floor.

Damian stared at them with a shocked expression, unable to immediately formulate a response. After everything he had expected from them, this was perhaps the last thing he had imagined. He slowly turned his gaze toward the balcony.

Rin stood there, having apparently recovered from being thrown out of the room. His fur was slightly disheveled, but even he looked genuinely surprised as he stared at the three women. For once, the fox had no sarcastic remark ready.

Neither Damian nor Rin had expected them to react like this. Damian had prepared himself for entitlement, excuses, and perhaps even attempts to manipulate him. Instead, the three women had willingly offered to surrender their positions as his future queens, accept responsibility for their mistakes, and remain by his side even if he refused to marry them. The realization left Damian sitting silently on the couch, staring at the three women kneeling before him.