Chapter 514: Execution Day

Damian stood before the enormous wall mirror in his chambers, staring at his reflection while adjusting the collar of his black and purple ceremonial robes. The garments had been prepared specifically for the execution, with intricate violet patterns running across the black fabric and several subtle symbols of the Sin of Lust embroidered along the edges.

His long black hair had been carefully arranged for the occasion, falling neatly around his shoulders instead of its usual unruly appearance. He ran his fingers through a loose section near his temple and adjusted it before staring at himself for several more seconds. He looked every bit like a ruler preparing to stand before millions of witnesses, yet there was a tension in his eyes that refused to disappear.

Behind him, Rin was sprawled comfortably across the bed, wearing a miniature set of ceremonial robes made specifically for his small body. The little fox looked far too comfortable for someone accompanying his master into what could potentially become one of the bloodiest days in Velmora’s recent history.

"You seem anxious." Rin said casually from the bed.

"Because we have nearly three million undocumented tourists who could just be members of the Order of Demons, and I can’t tell who is friend or foe because of their absurd number, so they are most likely to get the first hit on me..." Damian said, his expression tightening as he adjusted his sleeve.

"And you have seen what demonic magic arrays can do, and that bothers you." Rin chipped in.

Damian smiled bitterly at his reflection. The memories of Cinderfall remained fresh in his mind.

"Relax. If they get you first, I’ll step in and buy you enough time to recover and fight back. That’s why I’m dressed up." Rin said as he rolled off the bed and landed on the floor.

He stood on his hind legs and threw his paws apart, proudly displaying the expansive ceremonial robes hanging from his tiny body. "Look at me. I even dressed for the occasion."

Damian couldn’t help but chuckle. "You’re ridiculous."

"Ridiculous and useful. Don’t forget that."

Damian shook his head and walked toward the door. Rin immediately vanished in a puff of purple smoke before reappearing on Damian’s shoulder, settling comfortably against his neck as Damian opened the door.

The moment they stepped outside, Damian found Rah, Alice, Loth and Mary waiting for him, all dressed appropriately for the day’s events. Several attendants stood behind them while Kor and a group of royal guards waited farther down the corridor. The four women had clearly intended to accompany him, and Damian immediately recognized the determination in their expressions.

"No. None of you are going with me." He said without hesitation before walking past them.

The women blinked in surprise before quickly following him, while Kor and the royal guards fell in behind them at a respectful distance.

"Why aren’t we allowed to go?" Rah was the first to complain, increasing her pace until she was walking beside Damian.

"Because it’s dangerous, obviously. If a war breaks out in the capital, you all will be burdens, especially Loth and Rah." Rin responded for Damian without even bothering to wait for his master.

Loth frowned slightly at the remark, but she did not argue. She had personally witnessed what the thirty first regiment was capable of doing despite having no demigods among them, and that experience had permanently changed her understanding of organized military power. Against an army equipped with arrays, artillery and specialized weapons, anyone below the demigod realm could quickly become dead weight if the battlefield turned against them.

"Alice and I are demigods. We can hold our ground." Mary argued as they reached a corridor and turned left, beginning their descent down a broad staircase.

"And when you can’t, who does the burden fall to, to keep you all alive while simultaneously fighting against swarms of enemies trying to take his head?" Rin countered.

Thud!

Damian stopped in his tracks.

Everyone behind him immediately stopped as well. The sudden silence caused the footsteps of the guards farther behind them to echo through the corridor before they too came to a halt.

Damian slowly turned around and looked at the four women. His expression was not angry, but the seriousness in his eyes made it clear that he was not going to entertain another argument.

"A lot can happen beyond our control, and when such a situation arises, I need to know I can keep going without needing to look over my shoulder every second." Damian said quietly. "So if you are not ready to see my headless corpse on the streets of Velmora, stop arguing, sit right and enjoy the show from the comfort and safety of the palace."

Damian turned around and continued down the staircase. This time, none of the women followed him. They simply watched his back slowly disappear from sight before exchanging defeated looks. The royal guards eventually walked past them and continued after Damian, their armor making a steady metallic sound against the stone floor.

Alice released a heavy sigh. "He’s not wrong. It’s just annoying we can’t do anything for him."

The other three women immediately turned toward her as though she had suddenly grown another head.

"What did I just hear?" Mary blinked, leaning closer with a suspicious expression.

Rah immediately grabbed Alice’s arm, her eyes narrowing with amusement. "How does someone go from being cold to the Prince and then agreeing with him so easily?"

Loth covered her mouth as a giggle escaped her. "It’s love, obviously. She must have fallen for him after playing hard to get at all times."

Alice stared at the three women in disbelief before pulling her arm away from Rah.

"Are you all crazy?!"

Their playful teasing continued behind him, and despite his best effort to maintain his serious expression, Damian could not stop the faint smile that appeared across his face as their voices carried down the corridor.

The sound was strangely comforting. For all the political tension surrounding him, for all the blood that would likely be spilled before the day ended, hearing them argue over something so ridiculous reminded him that there were still ordinary moments worth preserving.

Eventually, Damian and the others made their way outside the palace. As usual, several carriages were lined up across the palace grounds, while officials and soldiers dressed in white and purple armor stood in organized formations around them.

Their armor distinguished them from Damian’s personal royal guards, who wore black and purple, and their presence made the preparations feel more like a military procession than a simple journey to the execution grounds.

Standing in front of the palace were Hazel, Ruby and Racheal, all three dressed formally and already prepared to leave. Damian’s gaze settled on them for a moment before Rin’s voice entered his mind.

’Are you going to take them with you?’

’I need the extra muscle, and now I’m not really sure I would step in if their lives are in danger. So I don’t see the problem.’ Damian shrugged inwardly.

Rin drew a cold breath.

’That’s a cold thing to say for someone who once cared for another person.’ Rin chuckled.

’Well, when I realized they came to me for political reasons, I already guessed their entire love was a charade. Now I feel nothing but contempt.’ Damian responded silently as he watched Lucy approach.

The Rakshasa woman walked around Hazel, Ruby and Racheal before stopping directly in front of Damian. She bowed respectfully, her movements graceful and composed.

"Sire, if you don’t mind me joining your carriage, I would love to share our security plans with you in private." She offered.

Hazel, Ruby and Racheal immediately frowned, their expressions darkening at the suggestion. They had barely managed to hide their discomfort before Damian answered without even looking at them.

"Lead the way."

Their expressions changed instantly, surprise replacing their irritation. Lucy gestured toward one of the carriages.

"This way, sire." She said, turning and leading Damian toward it.

The three women quickly stepped aside as Damian walked past them. None of them voiced a complaint. They had already been informed about what had happened in the royal court the previous day, and by now they understood the direction Damian had chosen. Their clans were approaching the end of their political existence in Velmora because of crimes committed across generations.

None of the three women had personally participated in those crimes, and therefore they had nothing immediate to fear from the investigation. What they could not afford was to give Damian a reason to associate them personally with the actions of their families. Their only path forward was to keep their heads down, remain loyal and prove through their actions that whatever feelings Damian still possessed for them were not being wasted.

"This is a very tricky situation." Ruby frowned as she watched Damian walk away.

Hazel nodded slowly, though she looked more tired than concerned. "He may really hate us now, but I believe we can survive this."

Racheal sighed heavily. "We just need to keep our heads low and completely focus on fixing our relationship with him. I know he loves us. Even if it takes a while, he will forgive us."

Meanwhile, Damian and Lucy entered the carriage as the ministers, officials and soldiers outside bowed deeply. Once they had settled inside, the remaining members of the procession entered their own carriages. It did not take long for the entire convoy to begin moving, hundreds of soldiers marching alongside and behind them while additional forces traveled ahead to secure the route.

Damian sat patiently across from Lucy, waiting for her to explain the security arrangements she had mentioned. Instead, she remained silent, calmly looking through the carriage window as the palace gradually disappeared behind them.

Damian studied her for several moments before his attention wandered over her appearance. Her brown hair fell naturally around her fair face, complementing her warm brown eyes and delicate features. Her luxurious robes were reinforced with light pieces of armor that emphasized the fullness of her breasts, while the way she sat with her legs crossed made it obvious that she possessed a fuller figure beneath her clothing. Damian allowed his gaze to linger longer than necessary.

If he did not have an impending battle with the Order of Demons, three million suspicious newcomers in his capital and an entire political system collapsing around him, he might have taken a genuine interest in her.

"Your Majesty, this is not the time to be lustful." Lucy said calmly as she turned to meet his gaze.

Damian raised an eyebrow.

Lucy smiled. "I won’t lie, I would love to be ravaged by you, but of course, that’s when we survive this predicament."

"You can tell what I’m thinking?" He asked.

"The eyes are the gateway to a person’s soul. I don’t need to read your mind. I just need to read your eyes." Lucy replied. Her smile remained calm as she studied him. "That’s how I could tell you were uncomfortable being with those three, so I made an excuse to get you out of there."

Buzz!

Damian’s eyes widened slightly. The observation was far more accurate than he expected.

Rin suddenly began tapping Damian’s hand repeatedly with his tiny paw, demanding his attention. Damian glanced toward the little fox, whose expression had become unusually serious.

"She’s a keeper. Marry her." Rin declared.