Chapter 657: The coup d’état

Seeing Maximilian stop brought momentary relief to Vincent. There was still a chance of survival if he proved himself useful.

"Y-yes, it happened ten years ago," Vincent explained, transforming back into his demi-human form. His skin was pale and covered in sweat from fear. "The Ancestors of the Neige, Roche, Flamme, Ondine, and Floraison Clans ambushed the Almighty Sovereign on his deathbed. The battle continued for one month and ended with the death of the Sovereign."

Maximilian’s fists tightened at his sides, his irises trembling. Although the Sovereign was an absolute tyrant, a cruel leader who had killed billions during his reign, he was still a loving and doting father to Maximilian. Maximilian hated the Sovereign...but he could never bring himself to hate his father.

His only blood relative had been killed while he was already on the verge of death. The revelation alone made Maximilian’s blood boil. This blood debt shall be repaid a hundredfold.

Vincent moved towards Maximilian on shaking legs as he continued, "After the Sovereign’s death, the five Ancestors formed an Elder’s Council, which became the new ruler of the two realms."

He took another nervous step forward while revealing, "All dragons of the éclair Clan above the Transcendent Realm have been annihilated. The dragonesses and lower realm dragons have been turned into slaves."

He stepped up beside Maximilian, who was still frozen in place. Vincent extended a trembling hand towards him as he offered, "I know of everyone involved in this coup d’état. I can help you claim your throne, Almighty Sovereign."

Maximilian’s eyes shifted to Vincent’s convincing ones. Seeing his guard lowered, Vincent immediately thrust his hand at Maximilian’s throat, a frost dagger materialising in his palm.

Slash!

The dagger pierced his throat, splattering his dark crimson blood.

"This was how that old coot was killed...Your Majesty," Vincent whispered, a smirk forming on his face. He had been waiting for this chance. Make him drop his guard enough to approach him. Then offer something tempting enough to stir his heart, if only for a moment.

That was the exact moment he struck.

As blood leaked from the corner of Maximilian’s lips and his neck, tracing down the dark scales of his chest and reaching the wound at his abdomen, Vincent revealed, "The Elder Council has announced that the one who slays Maximilian will receive the bone marrow of the Almighty Sovereign."

His smile transformed into loud laughter, revealing the jagged teeth inside his mouth as he shouted, "Hahaha, I killed the son of the Almighty So—"

Slash!

His words stopped mid-sentence as he felt the world slowly spinning. The sky and ground began turning upside down. His eyes widened at the sight of a body draped in silken white robes. The exact same robes he was wearing.

The scarier part was that... its head was missing.

As the headless body dropped, Maximilian’s upside-down figure came into view, standing in the air, his golden eyes glaring down at him despite the dagger still lodged in his throat. The tip of the dark sword in his hand was dripping with blood.

Maximilian removed the dagger from his throat and muttered in a cold tone, "You should have gone for the heart."

It was only then that Vincent realised the most basic fact that he had forgotten. Maximilian was the Dragon of Death.

Thud!

Vincent’s headless body crashed onto the shore of the beach while his head rolled towards the sea after hitting the ground. A wave splashed against the shore. When it receded, his head was gone, swallowed by the Abyssal Sea.

Maximilian’s vision blurred as his eyes slowly rolled back, his consciousness slipping away. Blood poured from his wounds like a cascading waterfall. His fingers gradually loosened around the hilt of his sword, and the weapon slipped free, plummeting from the sky before embedding itself in the sandy beach below.

A moment later, his body followed, falling helplessly toward the ground under the pull of gravity.

Just as he was about to hit the ground, a gentle palm was placed on his chest, stopping him midway. His weak eyes shifted to the figure beside him. Even as his senses were giving way, he could see her clearly. Everything around her was just a blurred stretch of lines. She was an ethereal woman draped in a beautiful wedding gown. A transparent veil covered her enchanting face but did nothing to hide her flawless features. Her warm pink eyes and soft lips, curved in a tender smile, were enough to make Maximilian’s heart skip a beat.

"M-my wife..." Maximilian murmured, his eyes slowly closing. "Y-you look so gorgeous..."

And he lost consciousness.

"M-master! Master!" Ume called out to him, worry lacing her every syllable. "I’m not your wife. I-I’m your disciple."

She wore the simple pink robe formed from her Soulforce. Her face bore no veil and was still covered in countless terrible scars.

---

"Why are you crying, silly?" Maximilian could hear his own voice. It was different, less deep and warmer. Nothing like the beastly voice of his dragon form. It...sounded human.

"I-I was watching this movie," a blurry figure behind him whimpered in a soft feminine tone, rubbing their eyes. "The husband donated his heart to his dying wife. He left her a letter which read that ’Even after death, my heart still beats for you.’ "

Maximilian leaned closer to the crying figure and embraced them in his broad arms, letting their head rest on his chest. He gently patted her head as he chuckled, "It’s just a movie, silly. They are all acting. That man isn’t dead."

"I know that much!" the figure in his arms hissed. "But that scene was too emotional."

The figure began crying again, dampening his clothes with her tears.

"Alright, I’m confiscating the TV remote," Maximilian muttered, his brows furrowing. "No more TV shows for you. How dare they make my cute wife suff—"

"No, you must not," the figure muttered, quickly wiping their tears. Their gasps subsided into soft hitches, as if they were trying not to cry anymore. "You are always out training the whole day. Sister Nym is also busy with the meetings. I can’t continue my work until I receive more Soul Stones. What can I do if not watch movies?"

Maximilian just chuckled at their words. His hand moved down to their waist as he pulled them onto his lap. "So my cute wifey is lonely, huh?"

"Unh," the figure nodded. "So love me more, dummy. That way I don’t have to watch those movies anymore."

"Your wish is my command."

With that declaration, Maximilian leaned back onto the floor, placing the figure on top of him and letting their head rest on his chest. He gently caressed their head and back until they fell asleep.

---

Maximilian’s eyes slowly opened, the wooden ceiling coming into view. He felt the throbbing headache of the lingering dream he had just had.

’Who was that woman I was calling wife in my dream?’ Maximilian muttered, his brows furrowing. ’Evangeline is my only wife, but I’m sure it wasn’t her.’

His eyes lowered to his chest, where he could see a head of soft pink hair. One of his hands was resting on the pink head.

"Ume..." he called, his voice low.

Ume lifted her head from his chest, straightening her back. She sat on the chair beside the bed.

"M-master..." she whimpered, her eyes turning teary.

Maximilian had only just pushed himself into a sitting position when Ume suddenly slammed into him in a hug, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I thought I lost you, Master," she cried, her body squirming in his arms.

Maximilian’s eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat again. Ume’s voice was exactly like the voice he had heard in his dream, after all.

"Y-you are the only family I have," Ume’s broken voice continued, her tears dampening his bare chest. "I-if anything happened to you..."

"I’m fine, silly," Maximilian whispered, wrapping his arms around her to soothe her. "Such shallow wounds cannot kill me."

"Your throat was pierced!" Ume snapped, her loud voice taking Maximilian aback. He had never heard her speak to him in such a raised tone before. It only showed how worried she had been for him. "That wasn’t a shallow wound!"

Maximilian moved her back by grabbing both of her shoulders, revealing her damp cheeks and gasping mouth. She immediately lowered her head in embarrassment.

She was already so hideous. And right now, while she was crying, her face must have been too revolting to look at.

Maximilian lifted her face by the chin. "Why are you hiding such a beautiful face?"

"I’m not beautiful, Master," she muttered, wiping her tears. She understood that Maximilian must be saying those words to make her feel better. But she would prefer that he be more honest with her.

"The only person I find as beautiful as you is my wife," Maximilian stated, his tone serious. "If you don’t believe me, I can take a Soul oat—"

"No need," Ume cut him off mid-sentence. A faint blush spread across her face as she murmured, "I believe you, Master."

Maximilian merely smiled. "As for the injury on my throat," he said, brushing his fingers against his neck, which was covered in bandages. "It’s a shallow wound for me. I’m a Dragon of Death. I can’t die even if my head is severed."

He grabbed her hand and placed it on the golden gem pulsating at the centre of his chest. "The only way to kill me is to pierce my heart."