The World Is Mine For The Taking

"Let me ask you something first… What would you do to convince me to change my decision?"

The King's voice thundered across the vast marble hal, reverberating off the tall stone pillars like a roar from the heavens.

It wasn't just a question.

But it was a challenge. A warning. A test of worth.

From atop his grand golden throne, he gazed down upon us, the sheer weight of his authority pressing into our chests like an invisible force.

His gaze was sharp, piercing through the distance like a blade of judgment.

"Is your daughter marrying the owner of one of the largest corporations in the world not enough for you?"

"If that's all this is about, then I could just hand you over to the Empire instead. The Empire holds far more influence than any lowborn's company could ever hope to offer me," he declared coldly, his eyes narrowing in our direction.

He was right.

The Empire of Rodonia wasn't just a power.

It was a nation built on conquest, firepower, and an endless supply of soldiers.

A behemoth that no corporation, no matter how successful, could truly compare with.

Leonamon might've led the market with its advanced tech and global presence.

Its reach was undeniable, but it was still just a company. A well-oiled machine for commerce, not war. When it came to raw might and military dominance, the Empire outclassed it by far.

What Leonamon lacked—what no amount of profit could buy—was manpower and military muscle. Rodonia had both in terrifying excess.

And yet, amid the thick tension in the room, Leon's hand rose.

"May I, Your Majesty?"

The King tilted his head slightly, acknowledging the gesture with subtle interest.

"You may," he answered.

Leon took a slow and steady step forward. His boots echoed against the polished floor. The confidence in his stride was undeniable. He glanced at me, just for a second, and offered a soft, confident smile.

That small smile—barely more than a curl of his lips—somehow filled me with a strange calm.

It told me he had a plan. That he wasn't just standing before the King blindly. He had something.

Then it happened.

Without warning, the roots of his hair began to darken, pitch-black tendrils of color bleeding down, strand by strand, transforming him before our eyes. It was like watching ink spill over white silk, until his entire head of hair was midnight black.

A hushed silence blanketed the room.

"Interesting..." the King muttered, a glimmer of amusement flickering in his otherwise stoic expression.

It wasn't just curiosity. It was something more. A predator seeing an unexpected move from its prey.

"So… are you telling me that wasn't your true appearance?"

Leon met the King's eyes without flinching.

"This is my true appearance. I only changed my hair color," he said.

"You're a far more interesting man than I thought," the King mused with a crooked smirk. "Well, that certainly explains how you managed to win over Myrcella."

He leaned forward, elbows resting on the armrests of his throne, chin tilted slightly in amusement.

"So then… what exactly are you planning to propose to me?"

Leon didn't hesitate.

"I assume you've heard the rumor going around. About a so-called 'skillless' man dating the Princess of the Bethlan Kingdom... and also the Princess of the Feliann Clan which was currently regarded as the most prestigious clan among all Beast Clans."

The room tensed again, as though the walls themselves leaned in to listen.

"You're claiming... that man is you?" the King asked, his tone suddenly quieter and more focused. His eyes locked onto Leon's, scouring for lies.

Leon shrugged lightly.

"You can believe it or not. That part doesn't really matter. But I think you've sat on that throne for years, judged countless people, and probably developed an instinct to detect lies. I'm sure you can feel that I'm telling the truth."

The King stared at him, silent.

One breath.

Two.

Then a short, sharp snort of laughter escaped his lips.

"I see it," he admitted, reclining back into his throne. "You're not lying."

A chuckle followed, low and amused.

"It's really surprising that you managed to tame those two. The Bethlan Princess? She's a spoiled brat that always whining for attention like a child. And the Feliann girl? A feral beast of a girl—she'd rather bash a man's skull in than look at him with anything close to affection. And now… you've got Myrcella too?"

He let out a slow, exaggerated sigh.

"I wouldn't even be surprised if you ended up seducing the Queen of Milham next."

Leon grinned.

"I don't think I'd enjoy cucking you, Your Majesty."

A deep, guttural laugh echoed through the hall.

"Well, as long as it's not one of my concubines, I couldn't care less. You can have the Queen for all I care."

Hearing him speak about my mother like that... so casually and so dismissively, it made me realize just how little he actually valued her. A wife, a queen, discarded like nothing more than an unwanted trinket.

"But how exactly does your connection with these princesses help your case?" the King asked, though there was now a visible curiosity in his expression. "What makes you think that'll make me change my mind?"

Leon stepped forward again, his voice low but firm.

"It's simple, Your Highness. You're underestimating the power of the minor kingdoms around you. You see them as insignificant. Weak. But I don't."

He paused.

"Individually, maybe they are small. But united... they could form a force large enough to rival anything. Even the Empire. You're sitting on a powder keg and laughing at the fuse."

The King raised an eyebrow.

"Hoh?"

He leaned in once more, his fingers curling under his chin.

Leon's eyes glinted.

"And I'm not done. I have more connections."

"Oh?"

"The Elven Kingdom."

That single name changed the air in the room. Even the King's expression tightened.

"The Elven Kingdom?" he repeated, his voice dropping just a bit.

Leon nodded.

"The former student council president at the academy… she's the Princess of the Elven Kingdom."

I felt my breath hitch.

Miss Artemis?

Princess of the Elven Kingdom?

That… I didn't know. I never even suspected it. But now that he said it, it wasn't impossible. Maybe she used magic to hide her ears, blending in as a human the whole time.

"Why are you bringing up the Elven Kingdom too?" my father asked, his brows furrowing slightly, a spark of curiosity hidden behind his stern gaze. "If I recall correctly, the elves hate humans with a passion. Don't tell me… you're saying you've also formed a connection with the Elven Princess?"

Leon didn't miss a beat. His lips curled slightly with that calm, calculating confidence of his.

"It's not just that," he said. "I'm also in a sexual relationship with the Queen."

Time froze for a moment.

My breath caught in my throat as the weight of those words slammed into me like a hammer.

My eyes widened involuntarily, and my whole body tensed, almost as if I'd been struck.

Even though I heard it loud and clear, my mind refused to accept it. A thick fog of disbelief clouded my thoughts.

He did not just say that...

And yet, he had. My brain reeled.

It felt unreal. It was actually so outrageous that even knowing Leon's eccentric, unpredictable nature, this revelation still felt like being tossed into an entirely different reality.

My father's reaction was delayed by a beat. Then...

"Fuhahahahahahahahahaha!"

He roared with laughter, like thunder rolling from the belly of the earth. His whole body shook as he leaned forward, gripping his stomach and slapping his knees with such force that the sound echoed through the chamber.

"Now that's hilarious!" he wheezed between laughs. "Not only the Princess, but the Queen too? A mother elf and daugther elf... Hah! At this point, I'm starting to wish you were my son instead!"

Leon smirked. "You could make that wish a reality," he replied smoothly. "And not just in jest. You can make it official, by giving me Princess Myrcella's hand in marriage instead of handing her off to the Emperor."

My father chuckled again, this time slower and darker, like he was genuinely impressed.

"Hehehe…"

He leaned back, a glint of amusement lighting his aging eyes, something I hadn't seen before. It was as if, for once, he was actually entertained.

"Very well… Very well," he said, nodding, his voice more relaxed now. "You're something else, Christopher Faust. You've proven to be far more than just capable, you're entertaining. So be it. From this moment on, you are officially Myrcella's fiancé."

It was like witnessing a spell being cast, one that altered the fabric of reality.

No… it wasn't just shocking. It felt engineered.

Planned down to the last detail.

Leon had maneuvered every moment with such precision that I couldn't help but feel like we were all playing pieces on his board. This was what he wanted all along.

But then my father's tone shifted.

"However…" he said. "Don't think this means you'll inherit the throne. That's not going to happen. The name Milham is the only name that will ever sit on that seat. Our bloodline is sacred. No outsider, regardless of how clever or charming, can rule this kingdom."

His gaze locked with Leon's, daring him.

"So if you were hoping to seize power through marriage, abandon the thought. It won't happen. Unless, of course…" he said with a slow smile, "you plan to usurp me."

The tension in the air thickened instantly.

There was no threat in his voice, but a challenge.

It wasn't anger or suspicion. It was almost like… expectation.

The way he said it, it was almost like he expected us to try.

Like he knew, someday, a revolution might be stirred by the very people standing before him. That was just how clever this man was—he was already ten steps ahead.

"If you do decide to rise against me," he added, "then come at me with everything you've got. Just know that I won't be holding anything back."

And like that, Leon became my fiancé.