Chapter 104 The New heir I

Chapter 104: Chapter 104 The New heir I

This shouldn’t be happening. It definitely shouldn’t be happening, because Noah had absolutely no idea how he was supposed to react to any of this.

He squeezed his eyes shut, silently praying to whatever gods were willing to listen that this was all some elaborate joke they would laugh about later. It would be insulting, yes, but at least it would make sense. Calling him a son was one thing, but calling him the emperor’s son? The son of one of the most powerful figures in the empire?

And Ashton was involved too.

"Oh, Ashton..." Noah exhaled shakily. "At this point, you’re going to hate your own body if you ever come back."

What kind of sickening changes were happening around him?

Someone suddenly laughed.

Noah opened his eyes and turned toward the sound, only to find Rose standing there with a strange expression on her face.

Her eyes had darkened.

Noah’s stomach tightened.

He remembered that feeling immediately.

The moment he had been stabbed in the throat, the terrifying realization that something was terribly wrong. The way the air seemed to disappear from his lungs, leaving him struggling desperately for every breath. That horrible suffocating sensation had convinced him that he was going to die.

And now, looking into Rose’s eyes, he felt that same dread creeping through him again.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

"She’s planning something really dark," Noah whispered, leaning closer to Lamia. "I don’t think everyone who came here is going back. For some reason, I feel like she wants them all eliminated... especially the emperor."

Before Lamia could respond, a guard approached them.

The man stopped directly in front of Noah and bowed deeply.

"Please, Your Grace. Stand up."

Noah froze.

His eyes widened.

Your Grace?

That was the same guard who had been standing near the emperor moments ago. Noah had seen the emperor whisper something to him before ordering him to stand up, and now that same guard was addressing him with a title usually reserved for members of the nobility.

"What?" Noah whispered.

He barely had time to process it before Slyvia, who appeared to be more confused than anyone else, suddenly spoke.

"What’s going on here?"

Her voice carried through the hall.

"That’s the class omega. The school’s poor rat and a worthless being. I don’t understand why he’s still—"

She never finished.

The emperor had already moved.

No one even saw him cross the distance.

One moment Slyvia was standing there, and the next, a terrifying hand struck across her face.

The sound of the slap echoed through the entire hall.

Slyvia stumbled sideways, clutching her cheek in disbelief.

The entire audience went silent.

Hezznine was equally stunned.

He had never seen the emperor act so openly before.

The emperor hadn’t explained everything that had happened back at the court, but he had left them with two very important hints.

Someone extremely important to him was at the academy.

And he intended to take that person away from the school.

Now, seeing the way the emperor was treating Noah and the way he had publicly struck Slyvia, Hezznine couldn’t stop himself from wondering.

Was the important person the purple-haired omega?

The emperor’s cold gaze settled on Slyvia.

"He is worthless?"

His voice was deep, powerful, and terrifyingly calm.

"What about you?"

Slyvia’s face drained of color.

"Don’t you know that you’re supposed to be his maid and servant? Or have you already forgotten that was meant to be your new role?"

A collective gasp escaped the audience.

Slyvia’s lips trembled.

The emperor didn’t even spare her another glance.

"From today henceforth, you are no longer my ward."

His words struck harder than the slap.

"You will cease to have any close ties with the royal family. Our bond was a mistake, and perhaps when you finally realize how far you’ve fallen, you’ll understand that treating other people like trash will never make you superior to them."

Slyvia staggered backward.

Someone stepped aside as she fell.

Irene deliberately moved to avoid her, refusing to let Slyvia’s clothes even graze against hers.

"Finally."

Irene’s lips curled with satisfaction.

"I never wanted her to be part of our family. That arrogant cunt."

Then her attention shifted.

She looked toward Noah.

And for a moment, she forgot everything else.

Her eyes widened.

The purple-haired man standing before the emperor was breathtaking.

His pale features, long purple hair, and bewildered expression somehow made him look even more striking beneath the bright lights of the hall.

Irene’s lips slowly curved into a playful smile.

"Well, perhaps you’ve finally gotten yourself some competition, Roshan."

She glanced toward the emperor’s side.

"You’re not the empire’s most beautiful male anymore."

Roshan’s expression stiffened.

Irene almost laughed.

Yes.

She enjoyed provoking him.

Especially when he was already irritated.

But even her teasing couldn’t distract her for long.

There was something strange about Noah.

Something that made even the emperor behave differently.

And Irene desperately wanted to know what it was.

Meanwhile, the Moonlight Alphas were having an entirely different crisis.

They stood together, stunned beyond words, each of them trying desperately not to make their reactions too obvious.

"This has turned out to be worse than we hoped," Eugene finally muttered.

Damian groaned.

"My throat feels even tighter now."

He swallowed hard, his eyes remaining fixed on Noah.

"Now that he’s at the emperor’s side, I don’t think he’ll want us anywhere near him. We might not even get the chance to speak to him anymore."

His voice became increasingly anxious.

Killian shook his head.

"You aren’t even looking at the biggest problem."

The others turned toward him.

"The thing we should be talking about is the fact that the emperor casually called him his son."

Their expressions changed.

"This isn’t ordinary."

Killian’s voice dropped.

"I felt the eye contact between them. There was something there. Whatever this is, it goes far beyond a simple misunderstanding."

He looked toward Noah.

"We can’t let him go to that palace."

Everyone went rigid.

"If he goes there, he could die."

Killian’s expression became grim.

"You all know what that palace is like. And don’t get me started on the dark witches that are rumored to have infiltrated it. There are stories about strange things happening among the maids, and the evil presence inside the palace was never properly resolved."

The thought alone was enough to make them uneasy.

They had been looking at the situation from the wrong angle.

They had been worried about losing Noah.

They hadn’t considered that going with the emperor might put Noah’s life in danger.

The whispers around them continued.

Even Killian, who had been sitting only moments ago, was now standing.

Eugene clenched his fists.

"I’ve been trying in my own way to protect him," he said quietly. "And I refuse to let him end up in that palace."

His gaze hardened.

"I’d do anything to keep that life away from him."

Damian looked at him.

"Anything?"

"Anything."

Eugene took a breath.

"There’s still time. We could run away."

The others stared at him.

"We can leave together. We can take Noah with us and start over somewhere far away."

It was an impulsive idea.

Perhaps even a foolish one.

But none of them liked the alternative.

If the emperor’s declaration was genuine, then Noah would be leaving with him.

And they might never see him again.

Marcus had remained silent throughout their argument.

His eyes were fixed on Noah.

He could see the fear written across the young man’s face.

Noah looked completely shaken.

He was trying to process everything at once, but how could anyone expect him to understand?

The emperor had suddenly appeared, called him his son, and announced that he had been searching for him all his life.

And the worst part was that Noah didn’t even know the man.

He didn’t know what kind of person the emperor truly was.

Marcus did.

The emperor wasn’t the kind and merciful ruler he sometimes pretended to be.

There was a darkness in him.

Not the kind that came from being an actual demon, but something far worse in character.

He could be cruel.

He could be terrifying.

And sometimes, he seemed incapable of tolerating the happiness of others.

Noah was far too innocent to be dragged into that world.

He didn’t deserve any of this.

"I’ll stop it."

Marcus finally spoke.

Everyone turned toward him.

"I’m going to oppose him taking Noah, even if I have to stand there and scream my objections in front of the entire court."

His voice was firm.

But before anyone could respond, Noah slowly shifted his feet.

He was about to step away from his seat and approach the emperor when Mrs. Danielle suddenly rushed forward.

She moved almost like a puppet whose strings had been pulled.

"Perhaps you’ve made a mistake," she said quickly. "This is Ashton. He isn’t someone who’s—"

A terrifying surge of power struck her.

Mrs. Danielle’s body was violently thrown backward.

She crashed into the wall, her head striking it with a sickening impact.

The entire hall froze.

She remained there for a moment, stunned, before her body slowly slid downward.

Noah’s hands immediately began trembling.

He clasped them together, his fingers shaking uncontrollably.

The emperor looked at Mrs. Danielle for only a moment before turning his attention back to him.

His expression softened.

It was such a sudden change that Noah almost couldn’t believe it.

The terrifying ruler who had just thrown a woman across the room was now looking at him with something dangerously close to tenderness.

"He is my son."

His voice carried across the hall.

"And no one will stop me from taking my son."

He looked around at everyone.

"If you want evidence, I will provide it. But do not make that decision for me."

Noah swallowed.

His heart was pounding so violently that he could almost hear it.

The emperor extended his hand toward him.

"It’s okay, son."

That single word made Noah’s entire body stiffen.

"Come."

The emperor gestured toward the throne beside him.

"Come and sit with me. I will explain everything."

Noah stared at the throne.

Then at the emperor.

Then at the dozens of people watching them.

He didn’t know whether to run, cry, or demand answers.

But the emperor’s final words left him completely speechless.

"I’ve been searching for you all my life."

The emperor’s eyes remained fixed on him.

"And now, finally..."

His voice softened.

"Here you are."