Chapter 55
Alec’s anger towards Aksen at that time was the only instance it had ever happened.
Compared to the things Aksen usually did to torment Alec, it was nothing significant. Aksen had merely made a comment that was not even insulting to the woman Alec had married.
Witnessing Alec’s unprecedented rage, Aksen was overwhelmed by a peculiar feeling.
Someone had become important enough to Alec that he would risk his life to protect them. However, Aksen did not kill Alec, as he desired.
He could kill anyone at any time, but Alec did not pose a threat to his power, so there was no reason to kill him.
Aksen was merely curious about how Alec would react if he touched something precious to him.
He wanted to inflict a wound on Alec greater than any he had experienced before.
His interest had almost waned when he heard that Alec had struck the Marquis of Howard.
It was hard to believe, but it intrigued him a little.
“Alright, you may leave,” Aksen said, rising from his heavy chair without even looking at Olivia.
Olivia seemed to want to say something more but kept her mouth shut.
* * *
Carson visited Aksen shortly after Olivia had left.
Carson was still recovering from the shock he had suffered at the hands of Alec.
Though he had gone to avenge Marcel’s grievances against Alec, the assignment no longer seemed important.
“Your Majesty,” Carson said.
Aksen, seated in his secluded garden, stretched his legs and glanced at Carson.
Carson was one of the people who reminded Aksen of his dark childhood.
Aksen had always yearned to become stronger and had sought out Carson’s father, the most famous mercenary in the empire’s underworld.
Although there were many capable knights in the imperial palace, Aksen was not in a position to learn from them at that time.
Despite being a royal, he was scorned by the emperor and empress.
“Unfortunate child.”
“Demon-like creature!”
He could never forget the look of disdain in their eyes as they regarded him with contempt.
If Aksen had not learned the art of combat and killing from Carson’s father, he would have had no reason to associate with Carson, a mere mercenary leader.
But today, Carson seemed to be in an unusual state.
Aksen clicked his tongue.
“Why do you look like that?”
Carson appeared as if he had barely escaped from a lava eruption, his body and soul completely drained.
Aksen suddenly thought it might be time to sever ties with these mercenaries, now that he had reigned as emperor for quite some time.
However, Carson still had some utility.
After all, the more forces he had at his disposal, the better.
Carson swallowed hard and approached Aksen.
“Your Majesty, I have experienced something unbelievable.”
“It certainly looks that way.”
“I’m not joking. My mercenary group… we almost got fried by lightning.”
“What?”
Aksen furrowed his brow, wondering what nonsense this was.
First Olivia, and now this, it had been a strange day.
With eyes full of despair, Carson spoke to Aksen.
“I’ve never seen such power in my life. Not since arm-wrestling with my father as a child have I felt such an overwhelming force—”
“Calm down and explain.”
“I wish it were just a nightmare.”
Carson’s hands were trembling.
Aksen, feeling an unusual sense of unease, pressed his temples and sharply looked at Carson.
“Get to the point.”
Carson then began to recount the recent events in a disjointed manner.
From Marcel’s request for revenge against Alec to Carson’s two failed attempts to confront Alec.
“…”
“The second time, it was so surreal that I still can’t believe it.”
“…”
“He attacked with such speed and strange electric currents, like lightning…”
Carson seemed truly deranged.
Aksen clicked his tongue, feeling there was no need to hear more.
So, the gist was that Alec had not only struck Marcel but had also incapacitated the entire Grave Mercenary.
It was hard enough to believe that Alec had hit someone, but lightning?
The lightning part seemed like a mix of Carson’s broken mind and a bad dream.
Yet, it wasn’t entirely dismissible.
“What’s going on, Alec? Have you really come to your senses all of a sudden?”
For the first time in a long while, Aksen genuinely laughed.
It was a brief, mocking laugh, but it had been a while since he had felt such pure amusement.
“Alright, you may go.”
“Your Majesty! If you are thinking of provoking Duke Brent again as before, please reconsider. I have a terrible, terrible feeling about this.”
At that moment, Aksen’s eyes grew cold and icy.
Carson realized he had made a grave mistake the instant the words left his mouth. He had said something one should never say in front of Aksen.
Aksen, the absolute ruler of the Rilt Empire, was not someone anyone could worry about or try to dissuade from his actions.
Anyone who dared to do so was never forgiven.
Aksen’s red eyes, filled with murderous intent, flickered.
“Do you want to die imprisoned in the imperial palace dungeon after barely surviving Alec?”
“That’s not what I meant…”
“Your mercenary group must be quite insignificant if they all got taken down by someone like him.”
“Your Majesty!”
With a cold expression, Aksen signaled to his guards. The knights immediately seized Carson.
“If you are lucky enough to survive after a week, I might forgive you. Take him away.”
At Aksen’s command, the knights dragged Carson away.
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”
Carson’s desperate cries echoed, but Aksen had already erased him from his mind.
The prison where Carson would be held was no ordinary dungeon. It was a place that slowly drained the life force of its inmates, thereby making Aksen even stronger—a space that only he could create.
Aksen then gestured to another knight.
There were many who could overpower Alec, not just Carson.
“Inform the captain of the Blue Blood Knights to bring Alec and his wife to the palace. It’s been a while since we’ve had a couple’s luncheon.”
“I will relay the order.”
The knight was about to turn and leave when Aksen spoke again.
“Oh, and if there is any resistance, it’s fine to kill the duke. Just make sure not a hair on his wife’s head is harmed.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
The knight bowed respectfully and swiftly exited the garden.
* * *
Alec focused on Louise’s lips.
It had only been a day since the masquerade ball.
From that ball, he had gained a total of 67 affection points.
During his dance with Louise, and especially after their unexpected first kiss, his affection points skyrocketed, reaching a total of 67 in just one day.
He had already gained 600 experience points from the Grave Mercenary quest.
With both affection points and experience points satisfied, his level had increased to 5.
Reaching level 5 significantly improved his situation.
His skills had leveled up accordingly, and he could now control one more summoned creature.
It was a bit bewildering.
He had thought that gaining affection points would be nearly impossible, yet a kiss had made them rise so easily…
It seemed that Louise had been longing for physical intimacy with Alec for a long time.
…However.
That was also his first kiss ever.
And the sensation and thrill of it exceeded any expectations he had, leaving him in awe.
Though he couldn’t show it to Louise, his heart felt as if it had been repeatedly struck, and his mind was in complete disarray.
As a result, he was restless and troubled all the way home after the ball, unable to calm his racing thoughts.
…It was a feeling that was too good to be true.
But it also felt like something he should not have done, preventing him from fully enjoying the moment.
Despite gaining 67 affection points and reaching level 5, he couldn’t be entirely happy.
The self-reproach and regret for having crossed a line enveloped him like an aftermath of a storm.
“I’m really going crazy…”
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