Chapter 8: The Contradictions Beneath the Glory

The events from moments ago had truly left a smoldering fire of frustration in Li Ruoyi’s gut.

Whether it was Ambur’s noisy insolence or Dracula’s cold sarcasm, he felt as though he had always lived amidst the spit of such pragmatic critics, both in the past and the present.

“I’m really fuming,” Li Ruoyi muttered.

Resting one hand on his forehead, his other hand unconsciously reached out to the wall beside him.

The wallpaper offered an unexpectedly comfortable sensation that surprised him.

To describe it, the feeling was like touching a flowing spring, causing him to calm down without even realizing it.

Li Ruoyi raised his head and began to take in the interior of the Holy City.

He had been too angry before to notice that the decorations here were so luxurious, with the walls rippling at his touch.

The environment did not bring the oppressive feeling often caused by excessive ornamentation or hardness.

“This really is much more luxurious than the palace in Romania when I was a child,” he couldn’t help but marvel aloud.

For Li Ruoyi, who was granted kingship directly after death but had deliberately avoided magical instruction during his life, everything in the Holy City was novel.

“Expressing wonder so easily is unbecoming of a king’s demeanor; I believe that is how you Easterners view it, isn’t it?”

Galena spoke, having appeared behind him at some unknown moment to drape a piece of fine clothing over his shoulders.

“Please be mindful of the cold; Lady Rhein feared you might not be accustomed to it and asked me to accompany you tonight.”

“It’s not like I wanted to be this king.”

“They must be disappointed in someone like me, who has zero magical knowledge and only knows of its existence,” Li Ruoyi replied.

He ignored Galena’s concern and turned his head away in a huff, walking until he reached the railing of the terrace.

Galena stepped forward quickly to stand behind him again.

“There is some truth to that; to think someone who knows of my birth and possesses the Eyes of Life and Death—capable of seeing through all things—is a complete layman in magic.”

Galena remarked, stating her thoughts without changing her expression.

“I told you not to mention these eyes!”

Li Ruoyi suddenly spun around, grabbing Galena’s collar and jerking her toward him.

Ripples formed in his Eyes of Life and Death as an intense killing intent filled the entire floor, causing the flames of the mermaid-shaped candles above to flicker violently.

“Although I do not know what these eyes have brought you, if you are this lacking in composure, you are still far off, Lord Ruoyi.”

As she spoke, Galena’s delicate hand reached out to seize the wrist holding her collar.

She delivered a heavy punch to his stomach before flinging his entire body away.

“In my eyes, there is no king here, only an immature child; my apologies for the offense, Prince Ruoyi.”

Galena smoothed the wrinkles on her collar and stood with perfect posture before the fallen youth.

“Fixating constantly on a tragic past is not a wise decision.”

Cough, cough.

Li Ruoyi, kneeling on the ground, let out a faint cough.

Had the guests outside witnessed this scene of a maid knocking down a reigning king, it would have brought an irreparable loss of face to a magical noble house like the Nicolaes.

“Even though my loyalty lies solely with the Saint of the Nicolae family, the harsh reality must still be faced: both you and the Nicolae family are currently too weak.”

Galena gently helped the fallen Li Ruoyi up.

“Lord Ruoyi, I trust you have calmed down now and can listen to a few words from me.”

“I—”

Before Li Ruoyi could speak, Galena’s finger was already pressed against his lips.

The slight smile on her face seemed to say that if he remained defiant, she could give him another punch.

Li Ruoyi, having learned his lesson, had no choice but to comply.

“You must win tonight’s Battle of Coronation.”

“Although the Nicolae family appears glorious on the outside, they are secretly entangled in endless infighting, and you must end all of this as the Reigning King.”

Galena gave a light sigh.

“This family can no longer afford to waste time; you have seen the kings from other parts of the world.”

“For the current Nicolae family to oppose other houses is like an ant trying to shake a giant tree.”

“Then why don’t you step in and stop it? Why must an outsider like me intervene?!”

“From the moment you became Lady Rhein’s person, you were no longer an outsider.”

Galena leaned against the terrace railing, the night wind catching her golden hair.

“Only you have this capability; once you break through the barriers in your heart, you will become a king who stands tall between heaven and earth; these eyes will not be mistaken.”

“Why are you so certain? You speak as if you know everything!”

“…”

Faced with Li Ruoyi’s questioning, Galena simply remained silent with a smile.

Her gaze pierced through the vast night sky, seeing the silhouette of this future king.

Yet she could not see it clearly and thus could not speak—besides, she had decided ten thousand years ago to cast aside that divine power and cease interfering with the futures of others.

Li Ruoyi also chose silence after receiving no answer.

“Who is it?!”

The silence was shattered in that instant as Li Ruoyi barked out a shout, his King’s Power sweeping through the entire floor once more.

The moment he gazed into the night sky, he had felt it.

At the other end of the corridor, another pair of eyes was watching them both, sharp as daggers and filled with a bitter, venomous resentment.

His King’s Power swept around but found nothing; perhaps it was just his imagination.

Ruoyi glanced at Galena beside him, but she shook her head.

Clearly, even this super maid had not sensed that person’s presence.

“Prince Ruoyi, please calm down; tensed nerves will do you no good.”

Galena smoothed out his wrinkled clothes and wore an expression of supplication.

“The contradictions beneath the glory… Prince Ruoyi, I beg of you, please put an end to them.”

“I will do my best, though I cannot guarantee success. But Galena… can I truly overcome my past?”

This super maid, usually called poker-faced, had shown human expressions tonight.

Li Ruoyi understood that these were Galena’s true thoughts, and showing such emotion was the limit for this stoic girl.

He felt moved, yet just as Rhein had dreamed, unraveling that knot in his heart would be no easy task.

“This is a trial, a trial from the past… whether one is a human or a king, growth means overcoming one’s immature past.”

Galena regained her usual coldness, but those words acted like a fire, igniting Li Ruoyi’s heart.

“The so-called past is but a sleeping s*ave… we have rescued it from its slumber.”

“As for the so-called glorious future, let that be enough.”

Galena once again did her best to form a smile under the moonlight; it was the only thing she could offer this fallen king.

****

After the two left, heavy panting echoed from the end of the corridor as a puddle of blood on the ground reformed into a human figure.

A young girl stepped out, leaning against the wall, her face pale.

Though her voice was soft, her curse was clear: “Such nauseating power… one day, Nicolas Aved Dracula, I will kill you!”

After a brief rest, she leaped from the terrace and vanished into the vast night sky.