His gaze didn't linger on her for long; the next second, it fell on the king, who was still kneeling in the snow.
“Graham Seldos…how many years have passed since you ascended the throne at the age of twenty-five?”
"Your Majesty, it has been thirty years."
Even though he did not understand the meaning of the question, the king still answered respectfully.
“Hmm.” Atheran remained noncommittal. “So, what contributions have you made to Seldos over these past thirty years?”
Has the territory expanded? Has the economy grown compared to when he took office? Have any new cultural developments emerged?
"..."
Since his ascension to the throne, no one had spoken to him in such a critical tone for a long time, yet the king was speechless in the face of this almost aggressive questioning.
The person before me... is none other than His Majesty Aetheran.
In his presence, who would dare boast of their own achievements?
Moreover, the current king has nothing to boast about.
"I……"
His face flushed with embarrassment, turning red with embarrassment.
At this point, Atheran finally turned his attention to the Queen.
“Elena Hansworth…that’s an unfamiliar surname.”
"...Your Majesty, the Hansworth family has undergone changes; its original surname was Moskowitz."
The Queen forced herself to remain calm.
“Oh…Minister Moskowitz, I remember that the Finance Minister back then had this surname.”
"I never expected that His Majesty the Ancestor would still remember..."
Atheran raised her hand to interrupt her compliment.
“Graham reigned for thirty years, and you have been queen for thirty years.”
"I'm not asking how much you've contributed, I just want to ask..."
"How many times have you drugged your husband over the years?"
The queen's face turned deathly pale, and she collapsed to the ground as if all her strength had been drained away.
She didn't even dare to turn her head to look at the people around her, let alone defend herself.
"...What does that mean?"
The king's complexion was no better than hers; he stood there blankly for a long time before finally muttering a sentence.
But seeing his wife's current behavior, it seems there's no need to explain anything anymore.
As if that wasn't enough of a blow, Atheran looked down at the two of them, her words devoid of any warmth.
"Although it is only a medicine that harms your offspring, it has been used without interruption for thirty years, and it has also had an irreversible impact on your lifespan."
"You have six months left, so prepare well."
Unexpectedly, the queen became even more agitated after hearing his words.
"No... the alchemist clearly told me that this medicine wouldn't be life-threatening!"
She suddenly raised her head and reached out to pounce on Atheran, but he easily dodged her.
He even remembered taking a few steps back while protecting Vili.
But that last blow seemed to have exhausted all of the queen's strength. She was just biting her nails like a madwoman, repeatedly saying "impossible."
I don't know if she's really acting like that.
"...Your Majesty the Ancestor."
The king, who had always been timid and stood behind her, calmed down before she could react.
"Please forgive my previous disrespect and doubt towards you. Because of your generosity, even an incompetent monarch like myself has been fortunate enough to learn the whole truth..."
His lips were almost as white as the snow, yet his words were unusually firm.
"Please save the Kingdom of Serdos once again, just as you did back then."
He closed his eyes, removed the crown from his head, and respectfully presented it with both hands.
Aetheran looked down at the golden crown that symbolized glory and status, but did not choose to accept it.
"I am but a spirit of the past; the future has its own masters."
He didn't say it explicitly, but the king trembled, then seemed to understand something and slowly turned in a different direction.
“Villie…”
He wanted to call him "my child" as before, but he was too ashamed to speak and swallowed the words back.
"You deserve it."
All of this unfolded like a dream, but Willy never let an opportunity slip through his fingers.
He smiled and took the gleaming golden crown, placing it on his head without hesitation.
Snowflakes drifted down from the sky, warm lights illuminated the hall, and melodious music drifted from the bustling interior to a secluded corner of the garden.
The banquet has begun.
Wearing a black cloak, even the snowflakes seemed to linger on him, swirling and drifting down onto his shoulders, reluctant to melt.
But that crown couldn't compare to the dazzling beauty of his face.
At this moment, he is a true monarch.
The guards appeared silently and dragged away the delirious queen and the seemingly heartbroken former king.
Soon, only Vili and Atheran remained in the place.
However, the former also has a non-human inside its head.
"Host! You're amazing!!"
"I just took over eighty photos of you! Pick your favorite one later and set it as the cover of our mission commemorative photo album!"
The system had long forgotten the so-called original work, and only felt that it had never seen such a wonderful plot.
This is the kind of mission that is worthy of its host!
People like Willy seem to be born to stand in the spotlight and receive the adulation and love of the masses.
He doesn't need to do anything extra; people will willingly present him with that laurel wreath.
Aetheran seemed to be lost in thought as well. It wasn't until the music in the banquet hall ended that he snapped out of it, took two steps forward, and knelt on one knee in front of Vili.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
