Forced Bride Of The Vampire Lord

Chapter 406 What It Takes To Rule

Anne was still unconscious when Hazel returned to the palace.

But that was not the only thing that caught her attention. The whole palace was filled with the two factions of nobility. One that supported her while the other was standing in her opposition.

"To think that you want to stand in the position of our ruler. What do you even know about the empire? We have only seen you for the first time in your marriage, princess!" said the faction that still wanted the duke to win the throne.

They looked at her like she was a greedy woman who did not care if the whole empire would burn to ashes. She only wanted the position of herself.

Hazel could see the old empress, her half mother, in that crowd with the first princess.

"You are greedy and selfish to the limit of throwing the princess and her majesty out of the palace so that you would be the only one ruling it." one of them spat as they pointed at the empress, she looked pale and sick, as if she was suffering heavy grievance the moment they were thrown out of the palace.

"The woman who did not hold compassion for her family, how would she hold compassion for the empire?" asked another as they all looked at Hazel with disdain.

They wanted to attack and beat her in the name of justice but they did not dare too. Though Rafael had not said a single word and stood there lazily, he was protecting her with his eyes.

His eyes held a threat. If anyone took a step closer to the princess, they were bound to lose their limbs.

They covered the fierce look in his eyes and looked away.

"All in all, we want you to give up your decision of being the ruler and leave our empire. Since you are married, you're not even part of the empire anymore." said the marquis and all of them nodded their heads.

"Why would i! Just because you said so?" her face was calm and solemn but her eyes were fierce, she looked at them as if they all were fools with that mocking lopsided grin on her face.

"Since you all want to take me down, you should have won the hunt." she stated calmly "now that you have lost it, you are trying to force me by emotions. Ha! Why would I care about you and listen to you!"

"......." their eyes trembled as they looked at each other.

"How could you be so shameless?" asked the duke with grinding teeth. it had taken so much effort to collect all the nobles here and side with him, how could she be so calm with the pressure of all the nobles that were standing against her.

She should have been trembling in fear and started crying already. Was it because of her husband that she was being so fearless?"

"When we are young, we are tactless and brave. We made many decisions in haste for which we had to regret at our later age." he said in a kind voice as if he was only worried about her. "We are only trying to guide you as your elder. Since you have already married in another empire, why are you clinging to this empire like that? It would do no good to your married life."

His eyes filled with concern, as if he was saying "choose wisely or I will regret your decision." with a smile on his face as if he was a kind man.

"Don't you think the same my lord? If the lady would rule here and you would rule there, how would the marriage that has brought peace to both empires survive?" His voice was full of a luring tone like a siren was spellbinding its prey.

"The marriage that symbolizes peace was more important than this small throne of our empire. Don't you think so?" he asked again as he looked at the men from the council and other people present there.

The men supporting him were harsh and rude as if they could not bear the injustice. They were ready for a war while he was calm and collected, talking in a kind tone and worried about the welfare of everyone like a perfect ruler.

That was why others could not bear to let him go.

He was portraying the role perfectly. They had spent quite a good time in preparation for this scene.

Hazel stared at the door where Anne was resting once again. It was taking much more time than she had thought with all this drama.

"No! I don't think so!" said Rafael with a scoff, "who said that my marriage would be jeopardized with your tiny empire?" he asked with a raised brow as if they were fools.

"....."

"If she wants to live and rule here, naturally I will live here with her. Am I not already living here for months?" his tone was mocking them as they exchanged glances.

The vampires were much richer and stronger when it came to them. That was why they were not able to win the war with them even when they were larger in numbers and had all kinds of weapons. But..

He was leaving all that to live here with hazel.

Not even in their dreams have they thought about it.

'Ha! He must be trying to usurp this empire and then uniting it later with his empire. But now he was fooling the girl and the public with his kind image!' the duke gritted his teeth and his hands clenched deep into a fist with his nails digging his palm.

"But still it would not do! I don't think that the council would let the wife of a vampire rule the human land. Right?" It was a warning that others would neve accept it.

But when the councilmen exchanged glances, he was not sure of their reply anymore.

"Why not, in the end, she is a human and not breaking any laws. She had all the requirements that it takes to be a ruler."