Chapter 298: Chapter 298 : The next ruler (3)

As Joseph fisted Alex’s collar and dragged him closer, Alex simply stared at him, blue eyes calm and unreadable.

The atmosphere in the throne room turned suffocatingly quiet.

It was so silent that if a pin had dropped, everyone was sure they would have heard it.

Charlotte’s gaze locked onto Alex the moment she saw him. A bright, disbelieving smile bloomed across her face. The murderous pressure that had been leaking from her body vanished in an instant, like a storm blown away by sunlight.

Inside her head, the sinister voice that had been whispering to her for months… went completely quiet.

At the same time, Alden, Alicia, and Serena entered the throne room through the side doors. They took in the scene at a glance—Joseph grabbing Alex, soldiers tense, nobles pale.

All three of them smacked their foreheads with their left hands at once.

’Here we go…’ Alden thought.

Then, in the next heartbeat, Alex moved.

His hand shot up and clamped around Joseph’s throat, lifting him clean off the ground like he weighed nothing. Joseph’s fingers slipped from Alex’s collar, legs dangling as he clawed at Alex’s wrist, eyes bulging.

Serena leaned toward Alicia, voice dry. “You should stop that boyfriend of yours before that joke he made in the car becomes reality.”

Alicia’s eye twitched, but she nodded and rushed forward.

Meanwhile, Joseph’s vision was already starting to blur. Struggling for breath, he managed to choke out in a panicked, muffled voice, “S-Soldiers…! What are you doing…?! Kill this bastard! He dared lay hands on royalty!”

He screamed hoarsely, “Kill him! Kill him!”

The word “kill” snapped the guards out of their stunned daze.

They all knew who Alex was—knew they couldn’t truly stop him—but duty was duty. And if the prince died, the queen would never spare them anyway.

Swords were drawn as the soldiers surrounded Alex in a tight circle.

One of them swallowed hard and said, “Mr. Dragonheart, this is your final warning. Please… release the First Prince.”

Before things could escalate, Alicia’s voice cut through sharply. “Stand down. I’ll handle this.”

Seeing her step forward, the soldiers let out a tiny breath of relief, as if they had just spotted a savior.

Joseph’s face was turning purple now, every breath a struggle.

Alex looked him in the eye and said coldly, “You should learn to pick opponents your own size… Mr. Heir to the Throne.”

Alicia came to a stop beside them, arms crossed. “Alright, that’s enough.”

Alex glanced at her, almost offended. “What? But he started it first.”

“And I’m ending it now,” Alicia replied flatly.

Clicking his tongue, Alex released his grip.

Joseph dropped to the marble floor in a heap, coughing violently as he clutched at his throat.

“H-How… how dare…!” he rasped between coughs. “How dare you do this to your… future king… I-I’ll… I’ll have you beheaded…!”

Alex laughed out loud.

He turned his head toward Charlotte, a playful glint in his eye. “Char, look at this joker of a brother of yours. Watches too many movies.”

Charlotte let out a small, watery laugh. “Indeed… he does.”

Then, unable to hold back any longer, she ran toward Alex.

She threw her arms around him and buried her face in his chest, shoulders shaking. “I’m so glad you’re safe… and sound,” she said, her voice trembling. “And I’m… really sorry about what happened to Miss Selena…”

Alex’s expression softened. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her gently. “I’m also sorry,” he said quietly. “For what happened to King Edward. I feel like I couldn’t save anything… not Miss Selena, not even your father.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Charlotte said through her tears. “None of it…”

“I know, I know,” Alex replied. “I’ve been trying to tell myself the same thing. So you don’t have to blame yourself either.”

At that, Charlotte’s composure broke even more, and she cried harder as Alex slowly stroked her back, letting her grief spill out.

A few seconds passed like that.

Then loud, exaggerated coughing came from nearby.

Alex glanced over and saw Alicia glaring at him, eyes narrowed in a way that made her intentions very clear.

He let out a small cough of his own and gently loosened his hold. “Alright, alright. Let’s get the work done now, shall we?”

Charlotte sniffled but managed a small smile and nodded.

“What the hell is happening here?”

A sharp, commanding voice cut across the throne room.

A woman strode in through one of the side entrances, flanked by attendants. She had maroon hair arranged in an elegant updo and brown eyes that held a mixture of calculation and concern. Even in her early forties, she maintained a refined beauty, though the fine lines at the corners of her eyes hinted at both age and stress. Her features were delicate, but there was a hardness in the way she carried herself—one that came from years of political maneuvering.

It was Queen Regina Evans Avaloria.

As soon as she saw Joseph still on the floor, she hurried over and dropped to one knee beside him, supporting his shoulder.

“What happened? Who did this to you?” she asked in a worried tone.

Alex watched her for a brief moment, then spoke casually. “That would be me.”

Regina’s gaze snapped to him.

Joseph might have been a fool, but Regina was anything but. One look at Alex—his face, his aura, the nobles’ reactions—and she recognized him instantly. Within seconds, she pieced together what had happened.

She rose to her feet slowly.

“Mother, he’s the one who attacked me,” Joseph whined, pointing a trembling finger at Alex. “Kill hi—”

Bam!

Her hand whipped across his face in a sharp slap.

Joseph fell silent at once, eyes wide as he clutched his cheek.

The court watched, stunned.

Then Regina did something none of them expected.

She bowed her head toward Alex.

“I greet the hero who saved this empire,” she said calmly.

The entire court froze.

Everyone knew the kind of woman Regina was—cunning, proud, and ruthlessly ambitious. Many of them had never even seen her bow her head to King Edward himself. For her to lower her head to Alex…

Even Lucas was speechless, staring at his mother as if she were someone else entirely.

Serena watched from the side, a slow smile curving her lips. Under her breath, she murmured, “That cunning woman… She knows exactly who holds the power now. Can’t deny it—that’s a smart move.”

Alex inclined his head a fraction. “I greet the queen,” he said, but he didn’t bow.

The lack of a full formal gesture drew a few quiet gasps, but most of the nobles only sighed internally. They were used to it by now. This was the man who hadn’t even bowed properly to King Edward.

Regina straightened, still smiling politely. “Please forgive Joseph, Mr. Alex,” she said smoothly. “He is not in his right state of mind. His beloved father has just died. Normally, he is a very good child and takes his responsibilities quite seriously.”

Alex glanced at Joseph, then smiled thinly. “I already saw that. And I’m sure you’re right—he doesn’t look in his right state of mind right now.”

His eyes sharpened slightly. “Maybe that’s why he’s still alive.”

Regina understood the threat immediately. But her smile didn’t falter. “Thank you for your mercy and understanding.”

Then, deftly shifting the topic, she continued, “May I ask the reason for your visit, Mr. Alex? Don’t misunderstand—we are honored to have you as our guest. But your arrival was… very sudden.”

Alex began walking slowly toward the throne, each step echoing in the vast hall.

“As you just said, Your Majesty,” he replied, “this guest of yours has come here to help you.”

Lucas stepped forward, unable to hold back. “What do you mean by that, Alex?”

Alex looked over and smiled. “Oh, Lucas. Long time no see.”

“I’m not here for pleasantries,” Lucas said sharply. “Just tell me why you’re here. Don’t tell me you came to put Charlotte on the throne.”

A collective gasp ran through the nobles.

All eyes turned to Charlotte.

The color drained from Regina’s face as she shot her daughter a glare full of fury and warning.

Charlotte, however, just smirked back at her, unafraid.

Alex chuckled. “Well, you’re not entirely wrong,” he said. “The next ruler will be selected today.”

Every noble in the room stared at him. For months, the struggle for the throne had dragged on with no end in sight, while Avaloria continued to lose ground each day. No one had managed to bring the factions to any conclusion.

Yet Alex spoke as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

He stopped in front of the empty throne and turned to face the court.

“In fact,” he said, voice ringing clear through the hall, “the ruler will be decided by me.”

Silence slammed into the room again.

Every breath was held.

Every gaze was fixed on the silver-haired man who had just declared, without hesitation, that the fate of the crown—and the empire—rested in his hands.

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