Free Web NovelChapter 780: Strongest under the Royals
Louisa nodded.
"We still have time. The King’s visit will be the perfect stage. If we can present Marcus as the clear successor, the Duke will have no choice but to favor him."
Liam took a slow sip of wine, his eyes darkening.
"And if that fails..." he murmured, almost to himself, "there are other ways. Olivia, for example."
Louisa paused mid-sip, her glass freezing halfway to her lips.
"Olivia?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow. "What about her?"
Liam’s gaze drifted toward the window, a faint, hungry smile playing on his lips.
"She is still the Duchess. Beautiful. Influential. If I could get closer to her... win her over... it would make everything much easier. The Duke trusts her completely. If she whispered in his ear in my favor..."
Louisa set her glass down with a soft clink. She stared at her husband for a long moment. ƒгeewёbnovel.com
"You are joking, right?" she asked, her tone light but with an edge beneath it. "You cannot possibly be serious about pursuing your own brother’s wife."
Liam chuckled, though the sound lacked real humor.
"Why not? She is wasted on him. The Duke has grown soft. Olivia deserves someone who can truly appreciate her... someone who can give her the power and attention she craves."
Louisa’s expression hardened.
" Liam," she said firmly, "this is not a game. Olivia is not some pawn you can simply seduce. She is loyal to the Duke. And even if she weren’t, pursuing her would be incredibly dangerous. If the Duke ever found out..."
She left the sentence unfinished, but the warning was clear.
Liam waved a hand dismissively, though his eyes still held that dark glint.
"I am only speaking hypothetically, my dear. Relax. I was merely thinking aloud. Of course I would never actually act on it... unless the situation demanded it."
Louisa studied him carefully. She had known her husband long enough to recognize when he was testing the waters. She brushed it off with a soft laugh, trying to steer the conversation back to safer ground.
"You are messing with me again," she said, forcing a smile. "Always trying to see how far you can push before I react. Let us focus on Marcus and the King’s visit. That is what matters right now."
Liam smiled back.
"Of course, my love. As you wish."
***
The conversation had moved on, but the seed had been planted. Louisa had dismissed it as one of her husband’s usual provocations. She had believed he was simply testing her loyalty or trying to rile her up.
But now, sitting in the grand hall, watching Liam stare at the transformed Olivia with that same dark hunger in his eyes, Louisa realized she might have been wrong.
Her heart pounded rapidly as the pieces clicked into place. Her husband’s obsession had not been hypothetical. It had been real all along. And seeing Olivia now — younger, more powerful, more beautiful than ever — had clearly stirred something dangerous inside him.
Louisa’s hands tightened in her lap.
She needed to act. She needed to secure her position with Kraven even more firmly. If Liam lost control and tried something reckless with Olivia, it could destroy everything they had built.
"Ahem..."
The Duke’s voice cut through Louisa’s internal warfare, pulling her back to the present.
"I should retire soon enough," he remarked. "The younger generations have already surpassed us old ones."
Louisa bit her lip at that comment. This sly old man was already disregarding the deal they had made and completely pushing Marcus aside now that their ends were more favorable.
She knew he was right as well.
Before the reappearance of Kraven, her husband’s side had been definitely winning and had been very close to securing the position of heir for Marcus. The Duke also had been showing clear signs of favoring Liam’s faction, and the balance of power had been tilting in their direction.
But now?
Not only had Kraven revealed himself as an Arch Mage, but Olivia — the Duchess herself — had also ascended to the same realm. Having four Arch Mages in the family, including the Duke himself and Commander Aldric, was already enough to completely overwhelm Liam’s side.
The power gap had become insurmountable in a single morning.
Louisa’s hands tightened in her lap. She forced her expression to remain calm and elegant, but inside, her mind was racing with growing frustration. This was the first time in years she had felt this utterly powerless.
She glanced sideways at her husband again, and her frustration only mounted.
Liam was still staring at Olivia.
His gaze was intense, almost obsessive, fixed on the transformed Duchess with a hunger that made Louisa’s stomach twist.
How can you be so foolish right now? she thought bitterly. The whole world is caving in around us, and you think staring at your brother’s wife is the wisest thing in the world?
She wanted to kick him under the table, to snap him out of it, but she could not risk drawing attention.
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Silence fell over the hall as the Duke stood up from his throne-like chair. His voice boomed throughout the grand space, cutting through every murmur and whisper like a blade.
"It is a very joyous day for our duchy," he declared, his tone filled with pride. "Another member of our family has broken through to the Arch Mage realm. This achievement puts us above many other duchies and makes us true contenders for being the strongest force just below the royal family itself. We will surely celebrate this properly and let the whole kingdom know the strength of the Astran family!"
At that, the crowd erupted into cheers.
"Long live Astran!"
"To the glory of the Astran family!"
The nobles rose from their seats in waves, clapping and shouting with genuine excitement. The sound filled the grand hall, echoing off the polished walls and golden chandeliers. Some raised their glasses in toast, while others clapped enthusiastically.
The atmosphere shifted from tense anticipation to celebratory energy in an instant. Even the knights and maids standing along the walls allowed small smiles to break through their disciplined expressions.
