Dragon King's Harem Chapter 465. Not For Wedding
Dragon King's Harem Chapter 465. Not For Wedding That alone irritated me more than I wanted to admit. His eyes carried that calm, smug glin
Dragon King's Harem Chapter 465. Not For Wedding
That alone irritated me more than I wanted to admit. His eyes carried that calm, smug glint—like a predator who already figured out how many steps his prey had left before exhaustion kicked in.
He leaned slightly forward, swirling the wine casually like none of this was heavy. Like it was all part of some well-rehearsed play.
“Then… how about a talk?” he said, voice smooth. “You know, casual. My daughter—she might want to speak with you personally.”
He sipped again, slow and deliberate. “It’s only proper that the two of you at least know each other before any marriage discussions advance.”
I flicked my gaze to him again, narrowing my eyes just a hair.
Yeah. That tone.
That gaze.
That confidence.
That smug, calculating assurance that he already had things moving behind the scenes before I even stepped into the hall.
I didn’t have to ask.
I could feel it.
His daughter was already here.
I tilted my head slightly, letting my senses stretch out. My mana rippled under my skin, quiet but alive. I activated Analyze. The world shifted, my vision sharpened. Details once blurred lit up like constellations. Mana signatures. Suppressed spells. Tiny threads of illusion craft.
And then my gaze caught it.
One of his assistants. The smaller one standing behind his chair, just far enough to avoid attention but close enough to watch everything.
Disguise.
High-tier witchcraft.
Not bad. Real skills.
And then the system window pinged quietly inside my mind.
[Name: Thiphania Shadowsoul]
[Age: 176]
[Level: 72]
[Tribe: Witch Royal Bloodline]
[HP: 3020/3020]
[Mana: 1980/1980]
[ATK: 46]
[M.ATK: 790]
[DEF: 330]
[Skills: Witchcraft Mastery (Bloodline), Illusion Veil, Hex Binding, Astral Chains, Dream Invader, Curse Weaving, Shadow Embrace]
[Emotion: Calm – Observing]
[Condition: Concealed Form – Active]
I hid my reaction well.
Of course.
Of course she was already here.
This wasn’t an introduction. This was a test. A performance. Both for her and for me.
Jyne stepped up and poured wine into my goblet. She didn’t ask. She didn’t need to. She felt the temperature shifting too.
I took a slow sip.
The wine was cold. Crisp. Fitting for this place.
Fitting for this moment.
Then I placed the goblet back down and finally spoke, voice calm, but sharp enough to cut through the comfortable haze Callum tried to cast over this room.
“I see.” I let the words hang for a second. “So you didn’t only come here for the wedding.”
I glanced up at him fully now. My gaze was direct, unblinking. “You came here… because of me.”
Callum smiled like a man being told exactly what he wanted to hear.
“Just like you,” he replied smoothly, “You came here not only for the wedding. You came here to ruin it.”
The bastard was enjoying this too much.
But I refused to give him more ground.
I exhaled through my nose, kept my tone cool. “Then I think your daughter can stop pretending.”
The words hit like a soft hammer in the room. Subtle—but deliberate.
Callum’s lips twitched into a full grin now. His eyes gleamed for a moment, and his voice came sharper, almost pleased.
“I like it,” he said with a faint chuckle. “This is the Dragon King I hoped for.”
Then, with a calm flick of his wrist, like a master of ceremonies calling the next act, he spoke softly—smooth, controlled, dangerous.
“Thiphania.”
He said it like a parent calling a child from behind the curtain of a play.
The assistant behind him finally moved.
Her form shimmered. The illusion rippled like heat waves against glass as the spell collapsed in layers—clothing shifted, facial structure altered, hair lengthened, dark hair flowing down like silk, and her presence shifted sharply.
The concealed assistant was gone.
Now standing before me was Thiphania Shadowsoul.
A beauty, no question.
Cold elegance. High cheekbones. Pale flawless skin touched faintly with that unnatural sheen their royal bloodline carried. Long dark lashes framed those sharp eyes, glowing faint with residual mana. Her gown was dark emerald, sleeveless, with layered lace accents that swirled like vines around her arms. Simple, yet unmistakably royal.
Her movement was calculated—graceful, but never soft. A perfect blend of refinement and underlying danger. Witch royalty embodied.
She curtsied with precision, lowering her gaze briefly as her voice finally broke the tension.
“Your Majesty, Dragon King,” she said softly, her tone light but formal. “It’s an honor to meet you at last.”
I studied her carefully, not responding right away.
Her posture. Her breathing. Her aura.
Calm.
Unflinching.
Confident.
But underneath it…
Curious.
That same system window whispered to me…
[Emotion: Calm – Observing]
She was measuring me too.
Of course she was.
I finally gave a slight nod. “The honor is mutual, Lady Thiphania.”
She raised her gaze to meet mine fully, and for a brief moment, neither of us spoke.
There it was.
That silent conversation between two who knew exactly where we stood.
Neither prey.
Neither predator.
But both playing a game already written by people who weren’t even standing on this floor.
Callum watched us both, pleased, swirling his goblet again.
“You see?” Callum said softly, breaking the air like slicing silk. “Nothing complicated. Just two young rulers meeting… who may someday build something even greater together.”
I ignored him. My attention stayed on Thiphania.
“Your arrival was… subtle,” I said, letting the edge of my words hint at her earlier trick.
“I only wished to observe first,” she replied with a faint smile. “It’s better to see how one behaves when they don’t know they’re being watched.”
“And did you like what you saw?”
Her eyes glinted. “You’re stronger than the stories suggest.”
“Stories exaggerate,” I said. “And they often leave out the cost.”
Her smile didn’t fade. “The cost is always part of the price, isn’t it?”
Callum chuckled quietly from his chair. “Ah, children today. So poetic.”
I barely glanced at him. “This isn’t poetry, Callum. You know that.”
He smiled wider, but said nothing. Letting the conversation simmer.
I shifted slightly, my voice dipping just a little lower, more serious. “Lady Thiphania… do you agree with this arrangement?”