Dragon King's Harem Chapter 470. I Prefer Here
Dragon King's Harem Chapter 470. I Prefer Here Jyne shifted Kaelen slightly in her arms, whispering something soft against his hair. The boy
Dragon King's Harem Chapter 470. I Prefer Here
Jyne shifted Kaelen slightly in her arms, whispering something soft against his hair. The boy didn’t wake. His small frame rose and fell gently with every breath, like the world outside this hall hadn’t just collapsed in fire and blood. Like innocence was still possible.
For him, maybe it was.
I let the silence drag for a moment longer. Then I exhaled and turned my gaze toward the others.
“I guess we need to head back to your rooms,” I said, voice low, tired, but steady. “Or maybe—”
“No need,” Callum interrupted before I could finish. He waved a hand dismissively and leaned back in his seat, one leg crossing over the other. “You’re here. I prefer here. Also… I haven’t had my dinner.”
I raised a brow. “There won’t be dinner in a time like this.”
He gave a slow shrug, lips curling in that usual half-amused, half-scheming expression. “I guess. But still. I don’t care about the other tribes. They ran, so be it. Me? I prefer to stay with the strongest. I know where safety lies.”
My fingers drummed against the side of the seat again. A soft, tired rhythm. “You really know how to flatter a dragon.”
Callum’s grin widened just a bit. “I speak truth. You’re strong, Argod. Me? I’m strong, sure—but not as strong. And besides... I want to know where this is going. The snow elf tribe, I mean.”
I tilted my head slightly. “You think I’m going to take the throne?”
He gave me a look. Not accusatory. Just... probing. “You said it was a favor. Repayment to the late Snow Elf King. But who knows? Maybe you’re planning to take their crown in silence.”
“So you do think ill of me,” I said flatly, though without heat.
Callum leaned forward just slightly, elbows resting on his knees. “Not necessarily. I said I want to know. That’s different. Curiosity isn’t judgment. And don’t worry—I won’t get in your way.”
“But you will judge me,” I muttered.
“And maybe try to get some leverage while you’re at it,” Al added coldly.
Callum turned his head toward him with a sigh. “You think too poorly of me, Almeric.”
“I don’t think,” Al said, folding his arms tightly. “I know how you operate.”
His form was humanoid now, but the edges of his voice still crackled with leftover magic, like his witch side was barely holding its tongue. His gaze flicked to Thiphania, then back to Callum with a fresh layer of disdain.
“And just so we’re clear,” Al continued, “if your daughter ever sets foot in the Dragon Palace, I’ll make sure she won’t manipulate the king.”
Thiphania arched one perfect brow. “How rude. I have no intention of manipulating him.”
Al scoffed and leaned forward just enough to make it personal. “Entertain me, then. Tell me exactly what you do intend.”
The air went taut for a beat, like the stone walls themselves were holding their breath.
Thiphania didn’t flinch. She turned to face Al fully, her expression cool but her voice laced with something silkier.
“To observe. To learn. To understand the world through a different crown than my father’s. Maybe, to serve. Maybe, to grow. And maybe, if the opportunity is mutual… to love.”
I gave her a slow blink.
That was... bold.
Callum didn’t even blink. He sipped his wine again like none of this surprised him. Bastard probably rehearsed it with her.
“Interesting,” I muttered.
Thiphania looked at me now. Direct. “Does that make me sound manipulative to you, Your Majesty?”
Jyne chuckled softly from behind me. “It makes you sound rehearsed.”
Thiphania tilted her head, but didn’t deny it. “Maybe. But intentions are only as dangerous as the will behind them. You’ve all seen mine. I didn’t try to curse you or trick you. I stood beside my father, not behind him. And I faced you honestly.”
Al scoffed. “You disguised yourself as a servant.”
“Would you have treated me fairly if I introduced myself as Thiphania Shadowsoul?”
Al opened his mouth to answer—and promptly closed it again.
Touché.
I pinched the bridge of my nose and leaned back with a sigh. “Alright. Enough sparring. If she’s here, she’s here. And if she’s talking, I’m listening.”
“Then let’s speak plainly,” Thiphania said.
Ugh… Not one of those.
She leaned forward now, resting her elbows on her knees like her father, mimicking that same predatory relaxation.
“You woke up and chose fire. You’ve shaken the balance and broken expectations. Whether you want the snow elf throne or not, you’re going to get dragged into its future. You’ll either become a king-maker or a new war catalyst. Either way… I want to see what you choose.”
Callum clapped lightly, once. “She’s bright, isn’t she? Sharp tongue, sharper mind.”
Al grumbled under his breath. “Razor blades are sharp too. Doesn’t mean I trust someone swinging one in my direction.”
I didn’t answer. I just looked at her.
Thiphania’s gaze didn’t waver. She smiled slightly, not in flirtation, but in recognition.
“You hesitate to touch Kaelen,” she said, quiet but not gentle.
I blinked.
Yeah. She caught that.
“The blood on your hand,” she continued. “You think it taints you. You think touching him now would undo something. But you spared him. You honored his father. You protected his kingdom. Even if they don’t see it that way.”
My voice came out lower than I expected. “It doesn’t feel like a victory.”
“Real victories never do,” she replied.
Callum sipped again. “She gets it from her mother, you know. All that insight. All that unsentimental empathy.”
I rolled my eyes. “Then maybe she should go talk to the mirror instead.”
Thiphania grinned at that. “I might. But first… I want to see what a dragon looks like when he’s not surrounded by flames.”
Al turned his head slowly toward me. “That sounded like seduction and strategy.”
“I told you,” he muttered, eyes narrowing again. “I know how they operate.”
Callum gave a theatrical shrug. “We’re all politicians here, aren’t we?”
“I’m a warrior,” I said bluntly.
Callum’s eyes twinkled. “That’s what makes you the most dangerous one at this table.”
And for a moment, I didn’t reply.
Because he was right.