Chapter 30: The Empress’s Declaration

Karina stood in the antechamber of the grandhall of Shadow’s Edge, her hand resting gently on Valen’s small shoulder. Through the crack in the massive double doors, she could see the sea of panther nobles, their dark ears twitching, their jeweled necks craning toward the entrance, their whispers like the rustle of dry leaves.

She had made her decision during the day. She had replayed every moment of her time in this world. The humiliation in the men’s bathroom. The fall through the sky. The rabid panther attack. The discovery of Leonidas’s mistress. The twin children who were not his, but might as well have been, considering the circumstances.

No more.

She was done. Done with the yandere system’s games. Done with Leonidas’s empty promises and his pathetic, desperate attempts to win her back after years of neglect. Done with the idea that any of these beast kings could ever be anything other than arrogant, entitled, insufferable men who saw women as pawns in their political games.

They want to annul the marriage? Fine. I’ll annul it myself. All four of them. Every single one.

Cheshire’s voice buzzed in her mind. "Host! Host, what are you doing?! You’re supposed to be making them jealous, not declaring war!"

Shut up, Cheshire, Karina thought coldly. I don’t care about your system anymore. I don’t care about making anyone obsessed with me. I just want to live my life in peace with my children.

"But—"

I said shut up.

Cheshire fell silent, for once in his digital existence, wisely choosing to retreat.

Beside her, Valen looked up at her with his big purple eyes. "Are you well?"

Karina’s heart squeezed. She knelt down, bringing herself to his level, and smoothed down his dark hair. "I’m fine, sweetie. Are you ready?"

Valen hesitated. He glanced at the grand doors, then back at her. "Is the king going to be there?"

"Yes," Karina said softly. "But you don’t have to talk to him if you don’t want to. You just have to stay by my side and look regal. Can you do that for me?"

Valen nodded, his small jaw setting with determination. "I can do that."

"That’s my brave boy." Karina pressed a kiss to his forehead, then stood up, squaring her shoulders.

The doors swung open.

~

A herald’s voice rang out through the hall, bouncing off the stone walls with theatrical grandeur. "Presenting Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Karina de Laurentis of Zyleria! And His Royal Highness, Prince Valen of Shadow’s Edge!"

Karina stepped forward.

The hall fell silent.

Every single pair of eyes in the room locked onto her. The nobles, dressed in their finest dark velvets and glittering jewels, stared openly. Some with curiosity. Some with disdain. Some with the hungry anticipation of watching a woman they expected to fail.

But Karina didn’t falter.

She held her head high, her chin lifted. In her peripheral vision, she could see the nobles’ reactions shifting. The disdainful ones were beginning to look uncertain. The curious ones were leaning forward.

Good. Let them wonder.

She felt Valen’s small hand tighten around hers, and she gave it a reassuring squeeze. Together, they walked down the long aisle toward the throne at the end of the hall.

And there, standing at the foot of the dais, was Leonidas.

He had dressed for the occasion, of course. His fitted black tunic was embroidered with silver thread that matched his eyes, and a heavy dark fur cape was draped over his shoulders. His hair was pulled back into a braid, gold bands glinting at the ends.

But his face... his face was a wreck.

Dark circles shadowed his purple eyes. His jaw was tight, his expression strained, and there was a desperate, almost pleading look in his gaze as he watched her approach.

Good, Karina thought coldly. Suffer.

She said nothing to him, and instead turned to face the assembled nobles, her gaze sweeping across them.

"Please," she said. "Rise. Let us not stand on ceremony."

The nobles, who had been bowing and curtsying in her presence, slowly straightened. They exchanged glances, clearly thrown by her confidence. This was not the cowering, weeping Empress they had heard stories about.

Karina took her seat at the table, which was positioned slightly below Leonidas’s throne but still elevated above the rest of the nobles. Valen settled into the chair beside her.

The servants immediately began serving the first course: delicate soups garnished with edible flowers, baskets of warm bread, and glasses of sparkling wine.

Karina picked up her spoon and took a sip, savoring the warmth of the broth. It was delicious, but she barely tasted it. Her mind was elsewhere, cataloging the room, assessing threats, and preparing for the confrontation she knew was coming.

A portly nobleman on her right, his panther ears twitching nervously, cleared his throat. "Your Imperial Majesty, I must say, it is an honor to have you in Shadow’s Edge. We have heard so much about you."

"Have you?" Karina asked, raising an eyebrow. "I do hope you’ve heard good things, my lord. I would hate to think that the nobles of Shadow’s Edge are engaging in slander."

The nobleman’s face went pale. "Oh, no, Your Majesty! Nothing of the sort! We have only heard of your grace, your beauty, your—"

"Your flattery is noted," Karina interrupted, a sharp edge to her voice. "And unnecessary. I assure you, I am fully aware of my own shortcomings. I do not need the nobility to remind me of them."

The nobleman wisely fell silent.

From across the table, a haughty-looking woman with sharp cheekbones and a sneer that she clearly thought was subtle, muttered to her companion. "I thought the union would have dissipated by now. It’s been years, and she’s still clinging to the throne like a barnacle."

Her companion, a nervous-looking man with a prominent nose, shushed her urgently.

But Karina heard. Her eyes flicked to the woman, and a dangerous smile spread across her lips.

Rafael, who had been standing behind Leonidas’s throne, heard it too. His emerald eyes narrowed, and he stepped forward, his voice dropping into a purr. "Lady Mira, do you have a death wish?"

The woman, Lady Mira, stiffened. "I was merely—"

"You were merely committing treason," Rafael interrupted smoothly. "In front of the Empress of Zyleria. I would advise you to reconsider your next words very carefully."

Lady Mira’s face drained of color. She bowed her head, her hands trembling. "I... I apologize, Your Imperial Majesty. I spoke out of turn. I meant no disrespect."

Karina waved a hand dismissively, her smile never wavering. "It’s alright, Rafael. It’s alright." She turned her cold gaze back to Lady Mira. "I am well aware of the rumors that have been circulating. I am well aware of what the nobility thinks of me. And frankly, I do not care."

The hall fell silent. Every single noble in the room held their breath, waiting to see what she would say next.

"Let me be perfectly clear," Karina said, her voice ringing through the hall. "I am not here to beg for scraps of attention. I am not here to weep over a marriage that has brought me nothing but misery. I am here to make a statement."

Leonidas stiffened in his throne, his purple eyes widening with panic.

Karina continued. "I have spent years being disrespected, ignored, and humiliated by the men I was forced to marry. I have endured mistresses, illegitimate children, and the cold indifference of four husbands who saw me as nothing more than a political inconvenience."

She stood up, her chair scraping against the stone floor. "And I am done. I will be annulling the marriage myself. All four of them."

The hall erupted into whispers. Nobles leaned in, their eyes wide with shock and excitement. Rafael’s jaw dropped, and even Leonidas looked like he had been struck by lightning.

"Your Imperial Majesty," Rafael started, his voice strained. "Perhaps we should discuss this privately—"

"There is nothing to discuss," Karina cut him off. "The decision has been made. I will not be swayed."

Leonidas stood up abruptly. "Karina, please—"

But before he could say another word, the doors to the grand hall burst open.

Every head in the room turned.

Standing in the doorway was a woman. She was absolutely stunning, with wavy dark violet hair. Her figure was breathtaking, accentuated by a blood-red gown embroidered with golden threads that looked like claws. Her face was perfectly made up, her lips painted a deep crimson, and her fox-like eyes sparkled with confidence.

Leonidas’s eyes widened in horror. His hand tightened so violently that the glass shattered in his palm.

CRACK.

Shards of crystal rained down onto the floor, and a thin trickle of blood dripped from Leonidas’s fingers. But he didn’t seem to notice. His eyes were fixed on the woman in the doorway, his face pale.

Rafael’s hand flew to his forehead. "Oh no," he muttered under his breath. "Oh no, no, no."

Renira was here.