In the dream, Lilith was wandering through the familiar Royal Capital Academy with a lantern in her hand.
“Your Highness, everything about her is fake; she only acts like this in front of you.”
A shadowy guard enveloped Klan, who was watching Lilith relax with her legs crossed. This was the first time Lilith had seen herself from a third-person perspective while relaxed; she indeed looked quite shameless, especially when she was barefoot and scratching her feet. At that moment, without her heavy coat, fanning herself with her tank top to cool down, Lilith simply wanted to stop herself.
At this moment, Lilith deeply regretted not listening to her brother back then and changing her bad habits. No wonder her brother said every day that she would have trouble getting married in the future.
But what surprised Lilith even more was that Klan had seen her like this.
Dreams are extensions of reality, especially those created by the divine lantern in her hand. Lilith was certain that Klan may not have been peeping at her like this initially, but he definitely knew what her true self was like.
“An interesting woman.”
Klan’s response was very simple.
If Lilith could see her own expression at this moment, she would find that it was exactly the same as that of the shadowy guard.
Not wanting to look any further, Lilith held up the lantern and moved forward, coming in front of Klan, who was watching another version of herself.
“Lilith, wait? How did we end up back at the academy? Weren’t we married?”
In an instant, the scene changed, and they were in a bustling street.
“Your Majesty, you have been assassinated.”
Klan paused for a moment, then remembered what had happened.
“Am I dead? Lilith, or are you really the goddess’s messenger, here to take me to the Divine Kingdom?”
“No, this is your dream.”
Lilith hesitated for a moment, then said, “Your father may have been killed in the dream.”
“I know, so am I still alive?”
Klan seemed unconcerned about his father’s death.
“It’s hard to say. Our magic defense is very comprehensive, but the assassin used a magic stone arrow that pierced your chest. Even this extent of injury would be easy for me to handle, but the arrow also contains toxins and plague, and your body is very weak, so…”
“Lilith.”
Klan interrupted Lilith’s muttering.
“You weren’t like this before. Where has that girl who used to slam the bills on my desk during work gone?”
“Your Majesty… Actually, the stone arrow pierced your heart, and Bishop has performed surgery on you to remove the arrow, but the toxins have spread throughout your body. We can only temporarily place your body in an ice coffin until the Tower…”
Before Lilith could finish her sentence, the surrounding scene began to collapse.
“I’m dying, aren’t I?”
At that moment, Klan appeared unusually awake rather than dreaming.
“No, as long as we wait for the Tower…”
“The Tower will not intervene.”
Klan shook his head. The Tower didn’t intervene even during the collapse of the Old Empire. Finally, Klan asked, “Did my brother tell you about my will?”
Hearing the word “will,” Lilith’s arm blocked her eyes, but it could not stop the tears that flowed down her cheeks.
“I’m very sorry, Lilith, that I couldn’t give you a fairy-tale future.”
“You clearly know everything, Your Majesty, why?”
“Because you are indeed an interesting girl, and you are the smartest girl I have ever seen, so can you save this country for me? I know this is selfish, but Lilith, please.”
Klan stepped forward and gently hugged Lilith.
“You are really foolish. You know everything about me is fake; I only approached you for my own sake.”
“I know. I can even feel that you actually don’t like me.”
Nothing is more painful than the other person knowing you’re lying yet still choosing to believe you stupidly. Lilith thought only her parents and brother would believe her like this.
“Forgive me, Lilith; this country depends on you.”
In the final farewell, Lilith hugged Klan and wept uncontrollably, as if she returned to that afternoon when she lost her older brother.
When Lilith woke up, her eyes were hollow. She had lost her brother before her journey and had now lost her newlywed husband, without ever experiencing even a day of imagined life. Next, she might have to carry a heavy burden and take over a precarious kingdom.
No one asked Lilith what she said in the dream, whether she confirmed the authenticity of the will. At least from Lilith’s expression, it seemed genuine.
Moreover, Kuf had no motive to forge the will; he truly needed a king to take the blame for the reforms.
Soon, the internal meeting of the royal family began. The new king had barely taken office before being assassinated; it seemed being a king was becoming a high-risk profession. But clearly, this position still looked very appealing in the eyes of some fools.
“I oppose! How can the kingship fall into the hands of outsiders!”
A member of the royal family initially thought such an outrageous will could never pass. He believed raising his arm would immediately rally many supporters.
But unexpectedly, Klan’s siblings were all very silent.
Although most of them did not want the king to be an outsider, even if married, it didn’t matter. After all, Augustus had risen through the ranks as a relative, but now nobody wanted to sit in that position. At least, he himself didn’t want to. With two kings dying consecutively, the next king would obviously be a scapegoat for reforms.
Even Lilith herself seemed unwilling—she looked a bit smaller, curled up in the queen’s seat, with the position beside her empty.
“Lilith Fanglin must assume the next kingship; this is the king’s will!”
Kuf rarely stood firm, forcefully pushing Lilith into a position of power.
“If anyone is unwilling, they may volunteer.”
A sudden silence fell over the conference room. The Augustus family, unlike those nobles, could not sell this country for a good price and were reluctant to do so. But most people knew their own worth; once on stage, they basically had no determination to continue pushing for reforms.
These reforms would offend countless people, yet failing to pursue them made it difficult to contend with the rising Anju Kingdom in the south.
“We can form a royal cabinet to exercise the king’s powers.”
Kuf looked at the proposer of this suggestion as if they were a fool. The king’s power was already weak, yet they wanted to further disperse that power. In the end, the royal cabinet would likely become lambs to be slaughtered.
Kuf was cowardly, not stupid.
“Let’s vote.”
The Grand Elder of the Augustus family interrupted the discussion, announcing that the next king would be decided directly by a vote among the royal members.
Voting was actually a very unfair decision; after all, the vision of most Augustus family members was not that long-term. Under Kuf’s earnest persuasion, the final vote ended in a tie between those supporting and opposing Lilith’s ascension, with the last vote resting in Claire’s hands.
Watching her former best friend curled up in the queen’s seat, Claire revealed a sly smile in her heart. The nobles had done a good thing; she initially planned to wait for her brother to finish the reforms before reaping the benefits. But Claire knew it would be challenging to assume power then.
Now, as long as Lilith ascended, once the reforms progressed adequately, Claire could directly use the excuse of restoring order to take charge. After all, the groundwork was already laid; it would be a waste not to use it.
Even Claire might inherit the position of Queen Lilith in the future, and everything was already arranged for her, gaining the support of most people in the name of restoration.
“I’m sorry, my good friend.”
Claire silently thought to herself, casting her vote and deciding to secretly support Lilith’s reforms.
The results of the royal meeting surprised everyone; the Augustus family surprisingly agreed to let Queen Lilith become the new king, taking over the unfinished reforms of Klan.
But the opposition was not loud. No one believed this new queen could achieve anything; the queen’s prestige was as barren and fragile as her stature.
The coronation ceremony was even more hurried and hasty than Klan’s, with everyone treating the newly appointed queen as if she were inconsequential.
Like a puppet, Lilith sat in Klan’s usual position, with a pile of documents piled high on the desk.
“Everyone, please leave; I want to be alone.”
Right after the king was assassinated, it was clearly impossible to leave this newly appointed queen alone. However, the maid tenderly looked at Lilith and then quietly withdrew.
Lilith took a deep breath and pulled out the letter written to her by the lord of Graywhite Territory. After silently reading it several times, she pulled out several envelopes and started writing letters.
The recipients were all characters whom Lilith remembered had good feelings toward her in the game, especially those who currently held military power, such as the brother of southern baroness Judith and the son of western baron Scott.
This even included Lind and Fang Ge, both of whom currently wielded Lars’s forces but lacked any goodwill.
Lilith felt her hand tremble as she wrote; she must be insane for not refusing to become queen.
But Lilith couldn’t swallow this pride; since she already had nothing to lose, why not go all out?
Lilith felt her heart burning. Since faces were already completely torn, no one should think they could escape. The struggle would begin with these nobles but would not end with them.
