Chapter 12: Third vs. Fifth

Adonis stepped out into the grand hallway and let out a sigh as he idly adjusted the cuffs of his royal coat.

’Man... the King really must be desperate if he’s even letting me run for the succession again.’

He stroked his chin in thought.

By all rights, the Fifth Prince should be dead, leaving the Third Prince Leander as the heir. Leander was supposed to hold the crown right up until the later arcs, when the missing Second Prince would make a dramatic return. But now? Adonis’s very survival had derailed the entire narrative.

Yet, survival wasn’t his only problem.

[Mission: Destroy the Dunamis family]

’How am I even supposed to pull that off? And then there’s sweet and charming Prussia... which is probably going to be a hundred times harder.’

[Affection Level: -35% (Deep Disgust)]

Adonis rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.

"Unbelievable..."

"What’s so unbelievable, Fifth Brother?"

Adonis paused and blinked. "Huh?"

Three figures stepped out from the intersecting corridor to block his path.

Leading the group was Leander. Beside him stood First Prince Godfrey and tucked slightly behind them was Fourth Prince Bradley who kept his arms crossed and his mouth shut as he stared at the floor.

A furious Leander stepped forward.

"We’ve all discussed this, Adonis. For your own good, stay out of this succession race. You have neither the talent nor the status to charm Lady Prussia. Disgracing our family name just to play a hopeless game isn’t worth it."

Adonis’s half-lidded eyes flattened.

He let out a soft, amused chuckle and tilted his head.

"My, my, look who’s talking. What happened to Mariella? She’s only been away in Soron for a few days for family business, and you’re already unfaithful?"

Leander’s face boiled red.

"You little trash—!"

He lunged forward and grabbed him by the collar, dragging him in close. Leander’s fingers tightened angrily.

"Shut your mouth! You dare insult me?!"

Adonis didn’t panic or flinch.

In fact, there’s a calm, mocking smile on his handsome face as he looked straight into Leander’s enraged eyes.

"There’s really no need to be so scared, Brother. I’m not even interested in Lady Prussia. Because trust me... if I were, she’d already be in my arms."

"Why you—!"

"That’s enough! Both of you!"

First Prince Godfrey stepped between them, forcefully wedging his hands between Leander’s grip and Adonis’s chest to break them apart.

Godfrey frowned deeply, glaring at both of them.

"Calm down! What if our guests see us acting like barbarians in the castle corridors? Act like princes!"

Leander angrily gnashed his teeth as he aggressively shoved Adonis away. Bradley didn’t say a single word through the entire ordeal; he merely glanced at Adonis once and quietly walked off alongside Godfrey, who gave one last disappointed shake of his head before following.

Leander turned to leave as well.

Adonis stood in place, casually smoothing out the crumpled fabric of his collar.

"Hey. Leander."

Leander stopped, not even bothering to turn around.

"Do not dare speak my na—!"

"Be quiet."

A cold, vicious reply from Adonis.

Leander froze against his will.

Adonis looked at his brother’s back with a sharp stare.

"I don’t like being embarrassed. You and your dear mother went out of your way to pull that little stunt back at the gala. So mark my words... I’m going to make sure the two of you regret ever going against me."

For a second, the corridor was flat silent.

Then, Leander burst into a loud, mocking laugh.

"Regret? From YOU? You’re a nobody! A trash Copper-class Enchanter! Why on earth should I be scared of useless trash like you?"

"Don’t worry. I’ll give you a reason soon enough."

Adonis smiled and walked away.

Leander cautiously watched his younger brother leave.

After, he looked down at his right hand.

It was shaking.

His knuckles were trembling uncontrollably.

This sudden feeling of fear was... humiliating.

He slammed his shaking fist against the wall.

"Damn him! That arrogant, useless bastard...!"

...

Back in the Grand Ballroom.

Everyone enjoyed expensive wines from crystal flutes while servants slipped through the crowd carrying silver trays piled high with delicate finger foods and roasted meats.

Near one of the royal alcoves, First Queen Esmarie stood behind her son, Godfrey, gently massaging his shoulders.

"You can do this, Godfrey. Lady Prussia may look like a wild, barbaric woman in her dragonhide attire, but she still carries herself with high esteem as a true noble of House Dunamis! To her, you are clearly the most handsome and refined of all the princes. You have impeccable manners. I am certain she will fall for you!"

She leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"And remember to brag about your [Grand Holy Knight] class! Make sure she knows Adonis has zero value. Hmph, he’s just a Copper-class Enchanter, after all."

Godfrey sighed, shaking his head.

"Honestly, Mother... Adonis is undeniably the most handsome among us. There’s no reason to be so insecure that I have to put down my own brother just to look good."

Esmarie’s face darkened scarily.

She pulled her hands back.

"Fine! Do whatever you want then!"

As Godfrey sighed and made his way for the wine table where Prussia stood alone with Korgan, Esmarie watched his back with growing anxiety. Her eyes scanned the ballroom, looking for anything that could ruin her son’s chances and instantly spotted Adonis.

Adonis was currently lounging near a table, swarmed by a crowd of beautiful noblewomen.

"Oh, Prince Adonis, your skin is so smooth!"

A young lady gushed, pressing up against his arm.

"Enchanters are so highly valued in Soron! If you come with me, I can promise you’ll be treated better."

"Ignore her, Come to Naxos instead!"

A female mage said, tugging his other sleeve.

"Our magical academies are far superior!"

In the Falsbane Kingdom, Adonis was branded as a useless trash prince by his father, but his divine, god-tier beauty still granted him immense privilege among the peerage. He was flooded with women... young daughters, ambitious mothers, women far older than him, and even drunk noblewomen making shameless offers right out in the open.

"Get out of the way!"

Esmarie’s angry voice sliced apart the crowd. She forcefully shoved through the cluster of women, stepping right into Adonis’s personal space.

"You dare not breathe the same air as Lady Prussia, Adonis! If you know what’s good for you, stay far away from her! How dare you think you can be surrounded by these desperate, low-class women and still have the audacity to speak with a lady of her caliber?!"

The noblewomen clinging to Adonis reddened furiously.

"Excuse me?! Who are you calling desperate?!"

"HOW RUDE! I don’t care if you’re the First Queen, you can’t speak to us like that!"

Esmarie ignored the squabbling women.

Her glare was on Adonis.

"Is that clear, boy?!"

"I believe the boy will do whatever he likes."

A voice like velvet interrupted them.

Fourth Queen Minerva stepped up from the crowd, her arms folded tightly beneath her staggering chest, and a sexy, sweet smile gracing her lips.

Esmarie’s eyes narrowed at the Fourth Queen.

"Minerva... since when did you become so ridiculously close with your stepson?"

Minerva didn’t even blink. She casually reached out, pulling Adonis by his shoulders and burying his head directly into her deep, bulging cleavage. She looked at Esmarie with a provocative, lustful smile.

"Why, I simply love my stepson, of course~"

"Disgusting."

Was all Esmarie said as she marched away.

Adonis remained resting against Minerva’s chest.

"Ah... thanks, stepmother..."

He tried to pull his head back, but suddenly, Minerva’s arms locked tightly around his neck, crushing him against her breasts with enough strength to cut off his airway.

"Now then..."

Minerva looked down at him.

"Who, exactly, are all these women, Little Fifth?"

Adonis choked out a breath with bulging eyes.

"I—uh—well, you see—"

One of the drunk noblewomen poured.

"Hey! You can’t just hoard him all to yourself—"

She had more to say, but Minerva’s terrifying glance and those blood-red eyes sent every lady packing.

Satisfied, Minerva’s scary face turned sweet. She gently released Adonis’s neck, reaching up to delicately smooth down his messy hair and adjust the lapels of his attire.

"Much better..."

Minerva hummed happily.

"Why don’t we go have a drink, Adonis? I don’t care to mingle with nobles, so I’ve been quite lonely all night. Besides... I’m sure you have no intentions of chasing after that barbaric girl like your foolish brothers do. Older women are so much better, yes?"

Adonis straightened his collar, letting out a laugh as he offered her his arm.

"I’d prefer drinking wine with you anytime, Minerva."

Meanwhile, near the main wine table, First Prince Godfrey approached Lady Prussia.

The moment he stepped within five feet of her, a harsh SHING! sliced the air apart.

Prussia had drawn her sword halfway.

Godfrey’s heart nearly leaped out of his chest.

"LADY PRUSSIA, PLEASE!"

Said a cautious Korgan who quickly stepped in and placed a calm hand on her shoulder.

"Calm your blade! That is the First Prince of Falsbane!"

Prussia glanced at Godfrey’s pale, trembling face before she let the jagged blade slide back into its scabbard.

"Hmph. Don’t worry, Korgan, I wasn’t going to harm him. He’s far too soft and feminine to be a threat. Much like all the men in Falsbane. I’m just used to drawing my sword on anyone who approaches me."

Godfrey swallowed hard and prayed in silence.

"A-, Ahem... Lady Prussia. You... you look truly breathtaking tonight. And your attire... it is quite... unique! The dragonhide craftsmanship and that dragon tooth necklace are truly uhm, unique? No, it’s... stunning."

Prussia stared at him blankly.

"I don’t like your clothes. They are far too fancy. How do you even fight in that?"

In honest, he didn’t like hers either.

Godfrey blinked, taken aback by her bluntness.

"Ah... well, it’s courtly attire! But tell me, how was your journey to Gilishon? Do you find our architecture pleasing?"

"It was fine."

"Ah... I see! And what are your thoughts on Falsbane’s current trade policies regarding monster hides?"

"I don’t care."

Godfrey tried to ask several more open-ended questions in an attempt to spark a long, meaningful conversation, but Prussia met every attempt with dry, single-word answers.

Finally, Godfrey switched to politics and global economics.

He always does that when he’s panicking.

"You see, the economic integration between the Marsofian Union and Falsbane could yield—"

Prussia sighed disinterestedly.

"You are quite boring. And far too proper. I will wait for the next prince trying to gain my attention."

"Uhm..."

Godfrey felt too embarrassed and bowed awkwardly before leaving with watery eyes.

A few minutes later, Third Prince Leander walked over.

As Leander approached, Prussia didn’t draw her sword.

Instead, she offered him a small, polite nod and a surprisingly warm greeting.

Behind her, Korgan secretly puffed out his chest with pride.

’Incredible! Lady Prussia didn’t even touch her hilt!’

Leander smiled softly.

"Are you enjoying the ball, Lady Prussia? I’ve heard grand stories of your family’s legendary history with dragons."

Prussia’s eyes lit up slightly.

"Ah, what a question. My grandfather slew the Elder Dragon Geldarah with a broken spear. My father killed three great dragons before he turned thirty."

Leander’s grin widened.

"Ahaha, truly fascinating. You know, my awakened class is actually [Draconic Swordsman]."

This widened Prussia’s half-lidded eyes.

"A Draconic Swordsman...?"

She relaxed her posture entirely, even dropping her hand away from her sword hilt.

Korgan was internally screaming with astonishment.

’She let go of her sword! This is the first time Lady Prussia has ever spoken to a suitor without having the sudden urge to chop off his head and stick it on a pike!’

Over across the room, Adonis and Minerva were sitting comfortably at a private table, sipping fine wine while watching a troupe of sword dancers perform.

Suddenly, a booming sound shook the Grand Ballroom.

"BHAHAHAHAHA!"

The music faltered.

Nobles stopped mid-conversation.

Everyone turned their heads in shock.

The notoriously brutal, emotionless beast of a woman, Lady Prussia was laughing.

Nobody had ever seen her laugh before. Her laughter wasn’t soft, gentle, or feminine; it was bold, deep, and boisterous, almost like a hardened warrior’s. Yet, even with her mouth wide open and her head thrown back, her beautiful face was majestic.

Leander laughed along with her as he watched her with a tired side-eye, waiting for her to stop so he would too.

He leaned in, taking her hand into his own.

"I hope you’ll allow me to take you on a dragon hunt one of these days, Lady Prussia..."

Prussia’s laughter died down.

She gently withdrew her hand from his grip, placing it firmly back onto her dragonbone sword hilt.

Leander’s heart dropped.

’Did I push too far?!’

Prussia looked at him and gave a flat, firm nod.

"I would love a dragon hunt."

Leander’s brain almost glitched. He’d... succeeded.

’I won! My class is the perfect charm for her!’

Feeling triumphant, he grinned maliciously at Adonis.

’Just wait until I become King... I’m going to make you suffer endlessly for that threat.’

Across the hall, Adonis took a sip of his wine.

[Third Prince Leander has gained +30 hatred for the Host!]

All that, yet there’s a cool smile on his face, his blue eyes were relaxed into half-lidded slits.

"Oooo, I’m so scared."

The Fifth Prince was ready to play his cards.