Dragon King's Harem Chapter 513. Empty Bed

Dragon King's Harem Chapter 513. Empty Bed

That was how the night ended.

But the morning?

Yeah, the morning was nothing like I expected.

Not cold, exactly. Not emotionally.

Just… empty.

Different.

Unlike the usual mornings I’d woken to after claiming any of my wives, where I’d open my eyes to find a leg draped over my hip, an arm tossed across my chest, maybe a soft tail twitching across my face, or someone half-snoring into my neck. Warm bodies tangled up in sheets. Lazy fingers tracing my marks like they had all the time in the world.

But this time?

None of that.

When I woke up, there was no one clinging to me. No soft weight in my arms. No scent of freshly claimed lover beside me.

Just me.

And crumpled sheets.

I shifted slightly, groggy, and placed my hand on the space next to me.

Cold.

Not the chill of silk left untouched for a moment. No. This was the kind of cold that said whoever had lain here was gone long before dawn.

Gone long enough that even her warmth, faint and rare as it was, had vanished completely.

I stared at the empty spot beside me for a moment. Could’ve been minutes. Could’ve been seconds. I didn’t move.

Maybe she left hours ago.

Or maybe…

Maybe it was just because she was a snow elf.

I didn’t know which one was more accurate.

But either way, the result was the same.

She wasn’t here.

I exhaled slowly, dragging a hand down my face. Not bitter. Not angry. Just… thoughtful.

There was no sharp sting in my chest. No disappointment clawing at my throat.

Just… understanding.

Maria wasn’t a normal woman. She wasn’t just my wife, or just a queen who stepped away from her crown. She was a mother. A pillar. A woman who carried centuries of duty in her spine even after she passed the crown to Kaelen.

Yeah.

She gave up the throne.

But not the instinct.

And I didn’t need a system notification to know exactly where she went after slipping out of my bed.

Back to Kaelen’s room.

Of course.

I sat up slowly, the silk sheets falling from my chest, the faint scent of her still clinging to my skin. Snowleaf and frostwine. It was fading already.

I ran my hand through my hair and let out a quiet sigh. “Yup… that’s the problem when you date a mom.”

My voice was hoarse, amused, a little raspy from the night’s intensity.

“You’re not the first priority,” I muttered. “Their kid always comes first.”

I didn’t say it like a complaint.

Hell, if anything… it made me respect her more.

I didn’t grow up with that kind of love. I was an orphan back in the modern world. Had to fight for every scrap of attention. Had to teach myself what affection even was. So yeah, seeing her slip away to check on her son?

It made sense.

It felt right.

Even if it meant I woke up alone.

“Guess that’s what makes her feel like a real mom,” I muttered, brushing a hand along the spot she’d left cold. “Yeah… same kind of mom I always imagined, back then.”

I paused.

Then whispered to myself with a shrug, “Well… it is what it is.”

I got out of bed, stretched, yawned hard enough to crack my spine, then walked to the bathing chamber. The marble floor was cool underfoot, the scent of snow mint oils and mineral salts still lingering in the air from her previous bath.

I didn’t take my time.

Just a fast wash. Rinsed away the scent of sweat and sex, scrubbed the taste of last night from my skin.

Got dressed after that. Nothing too grand. No heavy ceremonial armor, no enchanted cloak trailing behind me. Just a clean dark tunic, fitted trousers, a belt with minimal detailing, and a fur-lined mantle clipped over my shoulders for warmth.

Simple.

For me.

Still screamed royalty to everyone else.

I stepped into the hallway. The palace was already awake. Quiet footsteps on carpeted stone. Servants moving discreetly. Snow elf guards posted with perfect stillness. Morning light filtering through frosted glass windows, soft and silver.

Jyne and Sela hadn’t returned yet either.

Which meant…

Breakfast alone?

I sighed and headed toward the dining chamber. The long corridor was still mostly empty at this hour. Most of the snow elf delegates would be eating in private rooms or arriving late like royalty loved to do. Even Al hadn’t stirred yet, which meant either he finally slept, or he was silently brooding on a roof somewhere.

But as I got closer to the dining hall, I paused.

Voices.

Laughter.

Not formal.

Not political.

Giggling.

I blinked and stepped slower.

The guards at the door straightened the moment they saw me.

One opened his mouth. “Shall we announce—”

I held up a hand.

“No need,” I said quietly.

He froze.

I pushed the door open myself.

Walked in unannounced.

And there they were.

Kaelen.

My stepson.

Sitting at the massive carved table in a pile of half-spilled parchment, juice stains, and a messy plate of sugar-glazed bread.

Giggling.

With Sela and Jyne seated on either side of him like overexcited aunts.

Sela had two large mugs of steaming rootbrew beside her, sleeves rolled up, eyes bright, her hair even wilder than usual. Jyne was barefoot in her chair, robe loose, fox ears twitching every time Kaelen said something dumb and adorable.

They were laughing like there weren’t a civil war days ago.

“Morning,” I said, stepping into the light.

Kaelen looked up and beamed.

“Morning, Dad!”

Sela whispered something to him. I caught it.

“Go give him your present.”

Kaelen froze, suddenly shy.

“But… what if it’s not good enough?” he whispered back. “What if he doesn’t like it…”

“He will,” Jyne whispered back with a grin. “Trust me.”

I walked over, raising an eyebrow. “You three started breakfast without me, huh?”

Jyne leaned back with a smug smile. “You were late.”

Sela took a long sip from her mug. “You needed sleep. And hydration. In that order.”

Kaelen clutched something in his hands. Something folded. Shaky.

I reached the table and crouched a little to his eye level. “What’s that, Kaelen?”