Reincarnate as the Villainess's Husband

Neonidas raised his eyebrows slightly, but there was more curiosity than objection on his face. My other women? These words, which he would normally say with pride, took on a different meaning when they fell from Allea’s lips. Knowing her intelligence and ambition, he quickly understood the intent behind her words. Allea wasn’t merely trying to carve out a place for herself—she wanted to be at the center of this union, controlling everything in Neonidas’s life.

Without loosening his arms, he tilted his head slightly toward her. "Do you want to be their leader?" he asked, his voice calm and measured. "You mean… the one who unites them all under one roof?"

He noticed the flicker of triumph in Allea’s eyes for a brief moment. The princess parted her lips slightly and responded in a cold yet determined voice, "Yes. I am a princess, Neonidas. Ruling is in my nature." After a brief pause, she added, "And I’m not just a princess anymore. I am your woman. I won’t accept being placed on the same level as the others."

Neonidas tilted his head and let out a laugh. He was amused, but he didn’t underestimate Allea’s seriousness. He already knew how determined this woman was to get what she wanted. He had no reason to resist her fire.

"If you’re that certain," he said, without breaking eye contact, "then the leadership is yours, Allea."

Allea’s gaze softened, but her voice remained firm. "Then I want to meet them all. Think of it as a gathering. I need to understand where everyone stands."

Neonidas gently stroked her waist and nodded slowly. "So be it."

This wasn’t surrender—it was making way for her. Neonidas knew Allea wanted to take control, but he also realized that her motive wasn’t just power. The princess truly cared for him. In her own way, through her own methods, but undeniably… she cared.

And for the first time, Neonidas didn’t see someone claiming him in this way as a bad thing.

Yet, there was a problem ahead. He wasn’t sure how Allea would react when she found out that her mother was also one of Neonidas’s women. But Neonidas already had a few plans for that.

Neonidas studied Allea’s face. He was aware of the passion behind her cold beauty. She wasn’t just any woman; she was an imperial princess. Born into power struggles, trained to control every step she took. So, her desire to rule over the other women was a natural outcome. However, this was a new situation for Neonidas. He was used to dealing with jealous, competitive women, but now he faced someone who wanted absolute dominance over them.

And things were about to get even more complicated.

When Allea mentioned meeting the others, the first person that came to Neonidas’s mind was her mother. As an imperial princess, Allea was accustomed to political marriages and power balances, but he wasn’t sure if she was ready to face such a personal truth. While Neonidas couldn’t fully predict her reaction, he knew he could use it to his advantage.

Maintaining his smile, he gently cupped Allea’s chin and brushed his thumb along her cheek. "Then let’s arrange a gathering," he said, his voice as indifferent yet challenging as ever. "But let me warn you, there might be some surprises."

Allea narrowed her eyes at him. "Surprises?"

Neonidas leaned in, his lips brushing just beside her ear. "Your mother is one of them," he whispered, his voice almost like an amused threat.

There was a moment of silence. Allea’s eyes widened, but she quickly composed herself. Her brows furrowed, her lips pressed tightly together. Neonidas felt the sudden flare of fire within her. He saw her clench her fists, but the princess swiftly regained control. As an imperial heir, she had learned to hide her emotions.

"Is that so?" she asked, her voice as hard as steel.

Neonidas gave her a challenging look. "Yes. And she has already accepted it."

Allea took a deep breath, trying to suppress the storm within her. To her, this felt like an insult. An imperial princess, a woman of royal blood… and one of her rivals was her own mother?

But at the same time, she realized how Neonidas was testing her. This was a challenge. If she wanted to take control, she couldn’t show any weakness.

Slowly, she straightened her posture and locked eyes with Neonidas. "So that’s the situation… Since when? And how?" she asked, her voice now more controlled.

As Neonidas observed the steel-like determination in Allea’s eyes, a faint smile appeared on his lips. She wasn’t an ordinary woman. As he expected, she hadn’t succumbed to a momentary rage; she had restrained herself from taking control of the situation. This showed just how sharp her intelligence and political instincts were.

"Since when? And how?" Allea had asked, her voice calm but hiding tempests within.

Without loosening his arms, Neonidas locked his eyes on her. "One of the things I saw in the future was your mother, Empress Velriona’s fate. Of course, those who killed you didn’t leave your greatest supporter, your mother, in peace…" Neonidas began to briefly recount Empress Velriona’s original story.

With each sentence she heard, Allea felt a mixture of shock and rage. Neonidas’s voice echoed like an unescapable court verdict—definite, inevitable, and inescapable. As Allea tried to absorb every word, she struggled to maintain the cold mask on her face. But her eyes betrayed the turmoil within her.

"My mom… did she really go through all of this?"

The words spilled from her lips like an icy wind. She had never considered this possibility. Velriona was not just an empress. She was one of the most powerful figures in the game of thrones. A single word from her shaped the entire court. And now... was Neonidas really saying that she, too, was one of the victims?

"Yes," Neonidas repeated, never breaking eye contact. "But only in one timeline. Velriona’s fate was written alongside yours. When you fell, she fell too."

The cold, flawless mask on Allea’s face began to crack with Neonidas’s last words. Her fingers trembled involuntarily, but she quickly clenched her fists. The anger coursing through her veins burned like fire. This was a defeat unlike any other. No political intrigue or court conspiracy could compare to the pain of witnessing her mother’s downfall. She had grown up as a woman of power, in a world where weakness was not an option. But now, knowing that her mother’s fate was tied to her own fall…

It burned like fire.

"No..." Her voice was a sharp blade, cutting through the air with uncontrolled fury and deep sorrow.

Neonidas watched the flames burning in her eyes. That familiar, wild fire... But this time, it was different. It wasn’t just the sting of wounded pride. This was something deeper. Her love for her mother, her loyalty to her family… An emotion Allea had never shown before now exposed her deepest wound.

The princess grabbed Neonidas’s wrist. Firmly, almost painfully. A touch that didn’t seek to suppress his will, but one that accepted it as it was. Neonidas could feel the fire burning within her cold hands.

"I want to kill," she whispered, her voice sharp and demanding.

"But she could be extremely useful."

As Neonidas stared into Allea’s blazing eyes, he could feel the storm brewing within her. Her fingers tightened around his wrist, and her breath had quickened. This wasn’t just an outburst of anger—this was the eruption of a rebellion rooted in years of suppressed emotion. It was the unbearable rage of such a terrible end in the midst of all these intrigues.

"I WANT TO KILL!"

Her voice echoed through the stone walls, not as a command, but as a sentence passed. The princess had made her decision, and there was no turning back.

Neonidas looked at her without changing his expression. Most would flinch or retreat in the face of such fury, but Neonidas only tilted his head slightly and smiled. This was exactly the reaction he had expected.

Seeing his indifferent smile fueled Allea’s rage further. "Neonidas, don’t you want me to kill her?" she asked, her voice still trembling with fury. "I am with you, I am your woman. Don’t I deserve that much?"

Neonidas swiftly freed his arm and cupped her face with both hands. His thumbs caressed her icy skin. Locking his gaze with hers, the detached tone in his voice gave way to a deep seriousness.

"Then kill her, Allea."

The princess’s breath caught for a moment. The flames in her eyes flared even brighter, but this time, she felt something click into place. Neonidas wasn’t challenging her. He was accepting her decision. Her freedom, her rage, her vengeance… he was giving them all to her.

Unfortunately, today Neonidas had sacrificed Avelina, who could have been an extremely useful slave, but in return, he gained greater control over Allea. More importantly, by revealing her mother Velriona’s future misery, he had probably given Allea a chance to mend their relationship. And most significantly, through this "sacrifice," Allea would now be able to accept sharing her husband with her mother.

This was the least harmful and most reasonable plan Neonidas could devise. And it had worked. The surprising part was that Neonidas had crafted this entire plan in just a few seconds in his mind. A very useful skill for a future emperor.