Dragon King's Harem Chapter 568. The Bride

Dragon King's Harem Chapter 568. The Bride

I shifted my hand lazily toward my ring, pretending to adjust it while watching the dance like any appreciative guest.

Subtle.

Slow.

No rush.

I turned the ring once.

A tiny amount of liquid touched my fingertip, almost invisible. I brought my hand up like I was thinking, knuckles brushing near my mouth. Then I smeared the antidote lightly across my lips.

Casual.

Extremely suspicious if someone stared too hard.

So I smiled while doing it.

Then licked my lips.

Just a little.

[Antidote Reaction: Active]

[Airborne Toxin Neutralization: Successful]

[Residual Effect: None]

Nice.

Tiny amount was enough.

The girls moved too.

Less subtle.

Marissa didn’t bother being fancy. She lifted her cup, pretended to sip, and pressed her bracelet against her lower lip for half a second. Evelina touched her bracelet while adjusting a strand of hair near her cheek, then breathed softly through her fingers. Sela was the boldest. She straight-up rested her chin on her knuckles, bracelet near her mouth, eyes fixed on Seranaya like she was mentally measuring coffin size.

Al, behind us, adjusted his glove.

Which probably meant he had already taken countermeasures five minutes ago because he was annoyingly prepared.

Across the hall, Seraphel did something even smoother.

She lifted her napkin, dabbed the corner of her mouth, and I caught the faint ember shimmer in her breath.

Phoenix purification.

But while some watched Seranaya dance with admiration, Seranaya watched me.

Not obviously.

But whenever she turned, whenever her steps faced my direction, her gaze found mine for just a little too long.

And Queen Elowen?

Same.

Mother and daughter.

Both locking attention on me more than Seraphel now.

Ah.

Great.

Absolutely fantastic.

I kept my smile polite, calm, mildly impressed.

While my thoughts went flat.

‘Oh come on. Are they seriously looking at me like that? What, am I the next Durharn?’

‘Do I look like I collect poisonous wives from hostile tribes?’

…Okay, bad question.

I glanced briefly at my own harem.

Alright.

Maybe from the outside, I did look like a man with questionable recruitment standards.

Still.

Rude.

Seranaya spun again, scattering another invisible wave of obedience pollen through the air. The hall sighed as the dance reached its peak. Some guests looked dazed now, but not suspiciously so. The earlier food poison symptoms blended perfectly with this new toxin, fatigue, warmth, softened focus, emotional openness.

Layer upon layer.

The bride danced beautifully.

The mother watched quietly.

The king smiled proudly.

And I sat there, licking antidote off my lips while pretending I wasn’t planning how to put both women in magic bracelets before dessert.

The music slowed.

Seranaya lowered herself gracefully in the center of the hall, one knee bent, one hand over her heart, head bowed.

The crowd erupted into applause.

Durharn stood immediately, clapping louder than anyone.

“My queen!” he called, voice full of pride.

Seranaya lifted her gaze.

Not to him.

To me.

Just for a heartbeat.

Then she smiled.

Soft.

Sweet.

I smiled back.

Because if she wanted to play?

Fine.

Seranaya rose gracefully from the center of the hall, applause still rolling around her like a soft storm. She gave the guests that perfect bride smile again, the kind that made half the room sigh like they had just witnessed the birth of spring itself.

Meanwhile, the guests looked worse.

Not collapsing.

But paler.

Looser.

Their eyes had started to lose focus, their smiles staying on their faces a little too long. A dwarven noble near the west table nodded repeatedly at nothing. One fairy attendant blinked slowly, fingers resting limp around her cup. A merchant laughed at a joke that hadn’t been said yet.

Puppets.

Not fully controlled yet, but the strings were already there.

So, unfortunately, I had to join the theater.

I let my shoulders loosen slightly. Not too much. Just enough. My gaze softened, eyelids lowering a fraction like the warmth in the hall had started getting to me. I held my cup a little slower than usual, fingers relaxed.

A perfectly poisoned guest.

Very believable.

Marissa noticed and immediately copied with terrifying skill, leaning back as if dizziness touched her. Evelina lowered her gaze, breathing softly, her healer instincts screaming behind her calm face. Sela was… less convincing. Mostly because her version of “weakened” looked like “I am one insult away from murder.”

Still, good enough.

Then Seranaya returned to Durharn’s side.

He took her hand immediately.

“My queen,” he murmured, visibly proud.

She smiled at him, but her eyes flicked once toward me again.

Brief.

Testing.

Yeah, yeah. I see you.

Then… She came.

Queen Elowen Vireth.

This time, no pretending from a distance.

She moved straight toward my place with elegant confidence, her gown whispering across the stone floor, green silk and gold embroidery flowing around her like vines covering a blade. Her smile was still soft. Still royal. Still the kind of smile that made fools think they were safe.

I kept my poisoned act perfectly.

Relaxed posture.

Slightly unfocused eyes.

Mild smile.

Inside, I prepared three different ways to break her wrist if she tried anything.

She stopped beside my table.

“Dragon King Argod,” she greeted warmly.

“Queen Elowen,” I replied, voice smooth, just a little slower than normal.

She lifted a cup.

“I wanted to offer a toast. Your presence honors this day.”

No “are you feeling well?”

Straight to testing.

I lifted my own cup carefully.

“I would not miss such an important union.”

Her smile deepened.

We touched cups lightly.

A soft clink.

Then she leaned closer.

Not too close.

Just enough for her perfume to reach me, flowers, rain, and bad intentions.

“You looked interested in my daughter,” she said softly.

I froze.

Not outside.

Inside.

My soul briefly left my body, looked at the situation, and whispered, really?

Then she added, with that same gentle smile…

“I saw you licking your lips.”

For half a second, the real answer almost came out.

‘Are you delulu?!’

It was right there.

On my tongue.

But no.

Royal dignity.

I smiled instead.

Slow. Polite. Controlled.

“I am not interested in another man’s bride.”