Gon's Harem System
Chapter 190: The king shows his true colors 2

Chapter 190: The king shows his true colors 2

The king sucked his teeth, the sharp, irritated sound cutting through the air before he leaned forward, elbows resting on the arms of his throne.

His expression darkened, eyes flickering with frustration as he exhaled sharply.

"Oh, you should’ve seen it, Thane," he said, his voice edged with lingering disbelief and something dangerously close to resentment.

"He rolled in this morning, grand as ever, draped in that damn air of effortless authority, and the crowd..." He huffed, shaking his head.

"They practically fell at his feet. You’d think he was the sun itself, the way they basked in his presence. Laughing at his jokes, hanging onto his every word, falling over themselves just to be noticed by him."

He scoffed, more to himself than to Thane, his fingers tapping restlessly against the throne.

He shook his head slowly, his thick beard swaying with the motion, a deep furrow settling between his brows.

His voice, usually light with humor, carried a rare edge of unease. "If that man ever decided to reach for more, to truly set his sights on the throne," he said, his tone grim, "he could take it without even breaking a sweat."

Thane shook his head slowly, the motion deliberate, his expression thoughtful yet firm. "The emperor wouldn’t let that happen," he said, his voice carrying an unmistakable note of certainty, as if the very idea were absurd.

He shifted his stance, crossing his arms over his chest, exuding quiet confidence. "And the other dukes? Do you really think they’d just sit back and watch as he climbs over them like some ladder to the throne?"

His lips pressed into a thin line, and he let the question hang in the air for a moment before continuing.

"No," he said, his voice steady, as if the very notion was beneath consideration. "Men like them, men who have spent their entire lives clawing their way to power, securing their dominions, and fortifying their influence, don’t kneel easily. They don’t simply stand aside while another man rises unchecked, not when they’ve fought so hard to keep their own place at the table. They’ve got their own pride, their own ambitions, and they sure as hell won’t let the Duke of Hanan turn them into stepping stones without a fight."

The king let out a sharp scoff, a breath of air filled with frustration. "Pride? Power?" he echoed, his voice edged with disbelief.

"Thane, you weren’t out there. You didn’t see the way they fawned over him. The other dukes were no better than the common crowd, hanging onto his every word like it was gospel, laughing at his damn jokes like he was the wittiest man alive, bowing so deep you’d think they were greeting their emperor. I’m telling you, if Hanan ever decided to make his move, none of them would stand in his way. Some might pretend to hesitate, but when the moment came? They’d either step aside like obedient dogs, stay silent like cowards, or worse, throw their lot in with him. That man has them twisted around his little finger, and they don’t even realize it."

The king’s fingers drummed against the carved armrest of his throne, the rhythm uneven, restless.

His gaze darkened, his voice dropping to a hushed, almost wary tone. "He’s dangerous, Thane," he murmured, the weight of the words settling between them like a lead weight. "Far more than we ever gave him credit for."

Thane’s jaw clenched involuntarily, the muscles working beneath his skin, but his expression remained composed, a mask of calm neutrality.

Thane took a deliberate step forward, his boots making barely a sound on the cold stone floor.

His voice, though low, carried an undeniable weight, as steady and unyielding as the walls surrounding them. "That’s why our plan’s urgent," he said, his tone clipped, the words precise, as if he’d already weighed every possible outcome.

He paused for a moment, letting the implication hang in the air before continuing. "We’ve got to get rid of him before he gets rid of us."

The king’s eyes locked with Thane’s, and for a brief moment, it felt as if time itself had paused.

The weight of the unspoken words between them hung thick in the air, their gazes exchanging more than mere looks,

, there was an understanding, an acknowledgment of the danger, of the precarious path they were about to tread.

The silence stretched, the flickering torchlight casting fleeting shadows across the king’s furrowed brow, the faint crackle of the flame the only sound breaking the stillness.

It was a quiet, taut moment, as if the entire room was holding its breath, waiting for the next move, the next decision that would tip the scales of fate.

Neither man flinched, the only movement the slow, deliberate rise and fall of their chests, but the weight of the decision that loomed was palpable.

The king’s gaze remained steady, piercing through the stillness as he processed the gravity of their conversation.

His lips pressed into a thin line, and for a moment, his features seemed to harden with the weight of the decision they were facing.

Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, he nodded

The king’s voice came out low and heavy, each word carrying the weight of a thousand thoughts, the gravity of the situation pressing down on him.

He took a deep breath, his gaze steady but filled with the weariness of a man who had seen too many threats come and go, only for them to rise again.

His fingers tightened on the armrest of his throne, the knuckles paling with the force of his grip.

"You’re right," he murmured, almost to himself at first, but then louder, as if reaffirming his own resolve. His voice was grim, the edge of urgency sharpening his tone.

"We can’t wait. Hanan’s too strong already." His gaze flicked to Thane, the intensity of his words reflecting in his eyes. "If we don’t act soon, it’ll be too late."

The king’s hand moved up to his beard, his fingers brushing over the coarse hairs as he pondered the weight of the decision before him.

His eyes narrowed in concentration, the lines of his face deepening with the thought of how best to proceed.

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