Dragon King's Harem Chapter 555. I’m on My People’s Side

Dragon King's Harem Chapter 555. I’m on My People’s Side

Seraphel looked offended by the joke.

Not visibly.

Not dramatically.

But there was this tiny twitch near her eye like her soul briefly considered setting me on fire out of principle.

Then she huffed softly and crossed her arms.

“I see,” she muttered. “So it’s that bad.”

The wind shifted between us again, colder this time. It moved strands of her ember-colored hair across her shoulder while the forest around us stayed strangely quiet, like even the monsters lurking nearby understood this conversation wasn’t normal.

“I thought,” she continued slowly, “the Nymph Tribe simply wanted to make Durharn their ally.”

A pause.

“Without conditions.”

I let out a quiet laugh through my nose.

“Yeah.”

Then my expression flattened slightly.

“It’s worse.”

Way worse.

Because alliances could still be negotiated.

Controlled.

Broken.

But this?

This wasn’t diplomacy.

This was replacement.

A kingdom getting hollowed out from the inside while the king smiled and called it love.

Honestly?

Kind of pathetic.

And the worst part?

Durharn probably thought he was winning.

I rubbed the back of my neck lightly, glancing toward the distant capital again. Even from here, I could still see faint orange lights glowing against the mountainside. Peaceful from a distance.

Funny how kingdoms always looked prettier before disasters.

“Anyway,” I muttered, “I should go.”

Her eyes shifted back to me immediately.

“We should go,” I corrected. “Someone might notice us.”

That made her expression tighten again.

“They’re increasing patrols,” I continued. “The guards are getting nervous.”

And paranoid guards were annoying.

Not because they were competent.

But because paranoid people reacted first and thought later.

Very inconvenient.

“I don’t need them deciding we’re secretly plotting against the dwarves,” I added dryly. “Durharn’s already unstable enough.”

That earned a small exhale from her.

Not quite agreement.

But close.

Then…

“Tell me one thing.”

Her voice changed slightly.

Lower.

More serious.

I looked back at her.

“If they really force us into killing Durharn…” she asked carefully, “…are you going to do it?”

Ah.

There it is.

The real question.

Not the poison.

Not even the wedding.

The outcome.

The line.

I stayed quiet for a second.

Not because I didn’t have an answer.

But because I had too many.

“Depends,” I finally said.

Her gaze sharpened.

“On what?”

I shrugged lightly.

“The situation.”

Which was true.

Mostly.

“To be honest,” I continued, “Durharn isn’t suitable to be king.”

That sounded harsher out loud.

But I didn’t take it back.

Because it was true.

“He’s stubborn,” I said.

A beat.

“Though honestly… all dwarves are stubborn.”

That actually pulled the faintest reaction from her. Not a smile exactly. More like her face briefly remembered the concept existed.

“But most dwarven kings,” I continued, “still listen to their advisors.”

I glanced back toward the capital.

“Durharn doesn’t.”

That was the problem.

Not pride.

Not ego.

Every ruler had those.

The dangerous ones were the rulers who stopped listening completely.

The ones who believed love, rage, loyalty, fear, whatever emotion got hold of them, mattered more than reason.

Those kings died fast.

Or worse.

Took their kingdoms down with them.

Seraphel watched me carefully.

“Not because you want revenge?”

That made me look back at her fully.

The wind moved again between us.

Slow.

Cold.

And for a second, neither of us spoke.

Then she continued.

“This would be a good opportunity,” she said calmly. “Wouldn’t it?”

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

“To let one of your women have her revenge.”

“Sela,” she added.

I exhaled softly through my nose.

Yeah.

Of course she noticed that too.

Sharp woman.

Dangerously sharp.

I looked away for a second, staring at the forest instead of her.

Branches shifted gently overhead. Somewhere deeper in the woods, something growled before immediately thinking better of it and backing off.

Smart creature.

Unlike certain kings.

“That depends on her,” I finally said.

Seraphel blinked once.

Not the answer she expected.

I rolled one shoulder lazily.

“Besides,” I added, “I also have a nymph woman on my side.”

That caught her attention immediately.

“…Marissa?”

“Yeah.”

A weird warmth flickered in my chest at the mention of her name.

Not dramatic.

Not overwhelming.

Just there.

Because this whole situation?

Messy.

Complicated.

Personal.

Sela carried hatred toward the dwarven king.

Marissa carried scars from the nymph queen.

Different scars.

Different reasons.

But still scars.

And me?

I wasn’t going to stand there pretending only one side’s pain mattered.

“I’ll let them choose,” I said quietly.

The words settled heavier than I expected.

Because that was the truth.

Revenge sounded simple until the people you cared about stood on opposite sides of it.

Seraphel studied me carefully after that.

Like she was trying to decide whether I was being merciful…

Or stupid.

Honestly?

Fair question.

I lifted one hand slightly.

Snapped my fingers.

The air behind me distorted instantly.

Darkness folding inward with a low hum as space bent open.

[You have formed a portal]

Cold blue light spilled across the forest floor behind me, illuminating tree trunks and scattered leaves in soft flickering waves.

Seraphel’s eyes shifted toward it briefly.

Then back to me.

“You really prepared everything,” she muttered.

I smirked faintly.

“No.”

A small pause.

“I’m improvising very confidently.”

That actually made her stare at me for a second.

A tiny sound escaped her.

Not quite a laugh.

But dangerously close.

Honestly?

Big achievement.

I started turning toward the portal.

But before stepping through, I paused slightly.

“One more thing,” she said suddenly.

I glanced back over my shoulder.

“If things go wrong tomorrow…”

Her voice lowered slightly.

“…whose side are you on?”

That question hit differently.

Not politically.

Personally.

And for a second…

I thought about Sela.

About Marissa.

About Durharn.

About the bride smiling while holding poison behind her back.

About kingdoms pretending they were civilized while preparing massacres under banquet lights.

Then I huffed quietly.

“Tch.”

My eyes slid toward her again.

“I’m on my people’s side.”

Simple answer.

Real answer.

The only one that mattered.

Seraphel held my gaze for another long second.

Then slowly nodded.

Understanding.

Not agreement.

But understanding.

Good enough.

I gave her a lazy two-finger salute.

“Good night.”

Then I stepped backward into the portal.

And vanished.