Reincarnate as the Villainess's Husband

Neonidas stood at the bottom of the grand staircase, carefully listening to the footsteps of Emperor Gredor. The heavy boots striking the stone steps blended with the murmurs in the throne room, deepening the already tense atmosphere. As the guards moved like shadows around Gredor, the emperor’s face remained an unreadable mask.

Neonidas bowed his head slightly in greeting but did not take his eyes off Gredor for even a moment. The emperor studied him, the corner of his lips curling into an almost imperceptible smirk.

"That was a clever move, Neonidas," Gredor said when he finally reached the last step. "Instead of wiping out your enemies’ bloodlines, you chose to turn them into a symbol. Unexpected, but brilliant."

Neonidas stepped forward. "People do not follow rulers," he said calmly. "They follow stories. The story I give them will be stronger than their loyalty."

Gredor nodded slightly. "That remains to be seen." @@novelbin@@

The emperor cast a brief glance at the surrounding nobles before continuing.

"Your temporary rule here will inevitably create enemies. Those who resist the new order will move against you. And of course..." His eyes flickered toward Velriona for a fleeting moment before returning to Neonidas. "... your allies will be tested as well."

Neonidas glanced at Velriona’s expressionless face. Though she stood in the same hall, her presence was as faint as a shadow. Understanding what she was thinking was nearly impossible.

Gredor took a step closer and placed a firm hand on Neonidas’s shoulder.

"In this game, your blade must be sharp, Neonidas. If you make a mistake, I will not save you this time."

Neonidas bowed without hesitation. "I understand Your Majesty’s will."

When Gredor withdrew his hand, the tension in the throne room seemed to thicken even more. The nobles surrounding them stood still as statues, their gilded robes gleaming under the candlelight. Some stroked their beards, others swirled the wine in their goblets as if trying to mask their thoughts. But their eyes... their eyes weighed Neonidas. Some smiled faintly, sensing opportunity, while others calculated the emperor’s words in advance.

For a brief moment, Gredor stopped beside Velriona, but he said nothing to her as he ascended the stairs. Once seated on the throne, his guards stood shoulder to shoulder, sealing the hall’s doors. The sounds of the outside world vanished; from now on, every word spoken here would exist only for those present.

Gredor tilted his head slightly and looked at Neonidas.

"Neonidas," he said, his voice echoing against the stone pillars of the hall. "When I granted you authority, you promised to bring order to Hindonpon. You repaired the kingdom’s broken gears, established a stronger rule than before. However, every great action comes at a cost."

The emperor’s gaze swept over the assembled dukes. One of them, an elderly man with gray hair tied neatly at the nape of his neck, exhaled quietly through his nose. Another tilted his head slightly, an expression of disdain on his face. Neonidas realized that some had already begun to see him not as an ally, but as a threat.

Gredor paused deliberately. He stretched the silence within the hall, tightening the tension with every passing second, forcing everyone to hold their breath.

Finally, the emperor leaned against the slender marble column beside the throne and spoke in a deep, measured tone.

"But words alone do not seal a title’s true power. Blood, steel, and tradition consecrate it. Since I have declared Neonidas’s child as the 13th Duke, a ritual is required to prove that he is worthy of this title."

Neonidas lifted his head, locking eyes with Gredor. This ceremony had last been performed for his father, Duke Leonardo.

The emperor raised his hand slightly, and one of the guards stepped forward, carrying a black box to the throne’s front. When the lid was opened, an object wrapped in gold-embroidered cloth lay inside. Gredor slowly peeled away the fabric, revealing what was beneath.

A dagger.

But not an ordinary one. Its hilt bore the sigils of past dukes, its silver blade inscribed with glowing ancient letters. The flickering candlelight rippled across its sharp edge, and several dukes held their breath, exchanging cautious glances. This was no common weapon.

Gredor weighed the dagger in his palm and spoke.

"Every duke has carried this dagger since Hindonpon’s founding. Loyalty sealed in blood can only be affirmed by blood. Neonidas, if your child truly worthy of becoming the 13th Duke, then you will swear your oath before the dukes with this blade."

The emperor paused briefly, a faintly amused yet dangerous smile playing on his lips.

"And remember, this oath is not just for you. Your lineage, your children... they, too, will be bound by this blood. If, one day, you betray this vow, or if your descendants fail to uphold their loyalty... then this dagger will not forgive."

This was clearly more than a mere ritual—it was a challenge. Because whoever took this dagger in their hand did not only stake their own life, but the future of their entire bloodline.

Neonidas did not hesitate. He stepped forward and reached for the dagger.

As Gredor extended it toward him, Neonidas grasped it firmly. The cold steel seeped into his palm. He let his gaze sweep over the gathered dukes, studying each of their expressions. Some curious, some doubtful, others openly hostile.

Neonidas raised the dagger and placed it at the center of his left palm. Then, with a single sharp movement, he sliced deep. Blood slowly trickled from the wound, dripping onto the stone floor. A murmur spread through the hall.

Neonidas’s voice rang out, clear and unwavering:

"In the name of my child, the 13th Duke, I swear loyalty to the empire. I dedicate my strength to these lands and seal it with my bloodline."

Stepping forward, he raised his wounded palm and continued,

"If I ever betray these lands, this dagger will turn against me. And if my lineage proves unworthy of this title, then their blood will nourish this soil as well."

As his words echoed against the stone walls of the hall, Gredor nodded in satisfaction.

Neonidas took the dagger and extended it back to the Emperor. Gredor accepted it, enclosing it within his palm, and swept his gaze across the hall before delivering the last words:

"Thus, we bear witness to this oath, sealed in blood, binding the 13th Duke and his lineage."

All the dukes repeated the emperor’s words, their voices rising in unison.

The resounding affirmation shattered the heavy silence of the hall. "We bear witness," they declared—some with conviction, others with doubt, and a few with clear reluctance. Yet none could deny the weight of the ritual, for this oath was not merely words; it was the sealing of a destiny.

Neonidas clenched his hand slightly, allowing the blood to pool into his palm. The cut stung, but the pain was insignificant. He did not break eye contact with Gredor. Behind the emperor’s satisfaction lay a keen mind, measuring his every move. Gredor favored those who served him, but he valued obedience most of all. And Neonidas’s loyalty was still being tested.

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Slowly, Gredor closed the dagger and placed it in the velvet-lined box beside his throne.

"It is done," he declared at last. "Neonidas’s child is now recognized as the 13th Duke. The fate of Hindonpon’s duchy rests in his hands—and his lineage’s."

Some of the nobles nodded in acknowledgment, while others exchanged brief but meaningful glances.

As the emperor leaned back into his throne after securing the dagger, the tension in the hall remained palpable. But Neonidas, at that very moment, stepped forward, breaking the silence in his favor.

"Your Majesty," he said, his voice ringing against the stone walls. "Today, I do not merely declare my loyalty to the empire—I also declare my future."

The dukes exchanged quick glances. This was unexpected. Gredor raised an eyebrow slightly, though his face betrayed no surprise. Neonidas had already informed him the day before of his intent to marry Allea.

Holding his head high, Neonidas continued,

"In order to strengthen the empire’s power and stability, I hereby announce that within a few months, I will marry Her Highness, Princess Allea."

For a moment, the hall was engulfed in silence. Yet it was the kind of silence that preceded a storm. Some dukes widened their eyes, while others briefly paused as they sipped their wine. No one expected the two of them to get married so soon.

But Neonidas sought only one person’s gaze.

Allea.

The imperial princess stood in a shadowed corner of the hall, her posture rigid and unmoving. Behind her cold, almost statuesque expression, a hidden fire flickered in her crimson eyes. Her stance remained unchanged, yet when their eyes met, Neonidas could sense it—deep down, she was pleased.

Allea stepped forward toward her father. The heavy fabric of her robes whispered against the stone floor as she moved. Even with all eyes upon her, she showed not the slightest hesitation. When her deep green eyes locked onto Gredor’s, the air in the hall grew even sharper.

"We made this decision together, Your Majesty," she stated, her voice firm but controlled. "We love for each other. We value each other. By your command, this marriage should be sealed."

Gredor studied his daughter for a long moment. His face remained unreadable, but the sharp glint in his eyes betrayed the rapid calculations running through his mind.

For a few seconds, the weight of the throne room condensed into a space occupied only by three people—Gredor, Allea, and Neonidas.

Finally, the emperor lifted his chin slightly.

"So, your decision is final."

Allea bowed her head in confirmation. Neonidas, meanwhile, stepped forward once more, lowering himself onto one knee and tilting his head slightly in deference.

"Your Majesty, I humbly ask for your permission to marry Princess Allea."