My Celestial Ascension

Seeing the man sitting on the sofa—the one who had almost ruined their village if not for Yuan's help—Rose, Julie, and Ava felt a wave of discomfort and fury, and the tension in the room thickened once more.

Emperor Philip, Empress Selena, Concubine Priscilla, and Valeria immediately noticed the intense expressions on the Monroe sisters' faces and understood the reason for their anger.

'This is getting dangerous. I can't sense it fully, but the look in those women's eyes is… deadly, as if someone in this room is in real danger,' Emperor Philip thought, feeling sweat bead on his forehead as the situation seemed to spiral.

Yuan and his other wives' expressions turned icy as they took in the sight of Fedrick and Agatha, who sat with smug smiles as though they were the most noble figures in the room.

Silence settled over the room, thick with tension. The Imperial Family members felt a mounting sense of dread, sensing that something was about to go terribly wrong.

Fedrick, however, seemed oblivious to the atmosphere, his gaze glued to Yuan's wives, entranced by their beauty.

Seeing Fedrick's disrespectful gaze fixed on the women, Emperor Philip and Empress Selena grew visibly furious, as did Valeria, who was appalled by her nephew's behavior toward her sisters.

Yuan and his wives remained outwardly calm, but internally, they seethed with anger, especially Yuan, who felt his skin crawl with rage.

Uncomfortable with the tense silence, Emperor Philip cleared his throat and turned to Fedrick, saying, "Fedrick, didn't I instruct you to take the city's security arrangements seriously? So why am I hearing complaints about the security you organized?"

"W-What are you talking about?! I put a lot of effort into arranging the city's security for the Grand Auction! Why are you accusing me of neglecting my duties?" Fedrick replied, sounding shocked as he began to sweat, worried his father had discovered his recent misdeeds.

"Oh, so spending time in the brothels is what you call 'proper security arrangements'? Are you mocking me, Fedrick?" Emperor Philip shouted, his face red with anger as he glared at his son.

At these words, Fedrick's face turned pale, as if he'd swallowed something truly foul. Agatha, too, looked stricken, silently hoping Emperor Philip would forgive their son. After all, she reasoned, Fedrick was still the Crown Prince and deserved a second chance despite his mistakes.

"Your Majesty, please forgive our son for this error. He'll never make such a mistake again. Just… please, give him another chance to make things right," Concubine Agatha pleaded, trying to soften her husband's anger.

"You call that a 'mistake'? Are you out of your mind, Agatha?" Emperor Philip bellowed, his eyes blazing as his anger surged, unleashing a powerful pressure in the room.

The pressure in the room grew so intense that the walls and floors began to tremble. Agatha and Fedrick paled under the crushing force and fell to their knees, unable to withstand it.

Emperor Philip glared at his son with disdain, his voice booming as he shouted, "You are a disgrace to the Lionheart Family and the title of Crown Prince of the Lionheart Empire! I gave you a simple task, yet you failed utterly."

"Not only that, your greed and hypocrisy led you to kidnap a Wyvern child from Pinebrook Village, causing a monstrous outbreak that threatened innocent lives—all because you wanted a pet to follow your whims."

His voice rang through the room, leaving everyone stunned by the fury in his tone. "Now tell me, what punishment would be fitting for a useless fool like you?!"

Fedrick Lionheart, the second Crown Prince, was infamous throughout the capital as a disappointment—a prince known only for his misdeeds. He spent his days idling with followers who encouraged his poor behavior, and he frequented the city's brothels, where he indulged in empty pleasures with courtesans who would take any willing customer in exchange for a few gold coins. There were four such establishments spread across the city, and Fedrick was rumored to visit them all at least twice a week, humiliating the Imperial Family's name and dragging it through the mud.

There were even whispers of him harassing women on the streets whenever one caught his attention. Though Concubine Agatha used her influence to suppress these rumors, some noble families still dared to voice their grievances about his behavior toward their daughters. Emperor Philip had largely overlooked these complaints in the past, but seeing Fedrick's shameless gaze directed at Yuan's wives now, a deep coldness filled his heart.

Emperor Philip looked at his son in disgust and continued, "Your negligence caused city guards to abandon their posts, some even found drunk and sprawled on the streets. And that is beyond a simple 'mistake.'"

"You are also responsible for the suffering you inflicted on Pinebrook Village in the Windfall Kingdom. It was a peaceful place before your men, under your orders, stole the Wyvern child. You must face the consequences for your actions." His voice was cold, distant, and unforgiving, leaving both Fedrick and Agatha stricken with horror.

"Husband, can't you forgive our son this once? I swear I'll watch over him myself and ensure he causes you no further trouble…" Concubine Agatha pleaded, glancing briefly at Valeria with fury in her eyes.

'This is all that woman's fault! Everything began going wrong the moment she arrived at the capital. I'll see to it that she suffers for this!' Agatha seethed inwardly, biting her lip as she cursed Valeria in her thoughts.

Meanwhile, Valeria, noticing Agatha's distress, smirked in satisfaction. 'Serves you right, Agatha. But this is only the beginning. More is yet to come…' The grin on Valeria's face grew wider as she watched Agatha's desperate expression, taking pleasure in the sight.

"Father… Father, please forgive me for everything I've caused. I'm truly sorry for all the trouble I've brought upon you and the Empire. I promise, I'll never do anything so foolish again…" Fedrick pleaded, his voice trembling as he pressed his forehead to the floor. Tears streamed down his chubby cheeks, his desperation clear.

But Emperor Philip's expression remained cold and unyielding. "You've caused too much damage, Fedrick. Asking for forgiveness alone cannot undo the shame you've brought upon our family." His voice was ice-cold, and he looked at Fedrick as though he were a stranger guilty of a grave offense.

"F-Father… Please…" Fedrick's voice cracked, his face a mixture of disbelief and despair. He felt as though a crushing weight was pressing down on him, suffocating him.

"For your crimes and incompetence, forgiveness is out of the question. And should your mother interfere," Philip continued, his voice devoid of warmth, "I'll have to punish her as well."

Yuan, watching the scene, sighed inwardly. 'This is getting tedious. Time to put an end to this farce.' He gently moved Valeria off his lap and rose from the sofa.

As he stood, a collective gleam of excitement flashed across his wives' faces, as though they had been eagerly awaiting this moment. Even Valeria's eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"I've wasted enough time watching this nonsense, and I'm done with it," Yuan said, his voice calm yet chilling. "I made a promise to seek justice for my mother-in-law's family, for the suffering they endured because of one man's greed and foolishness."

The words echoed through the room, sending a shiver down every member of the Imperial Family's spine.

Without waiting for a response, Yuan raised his hand parallel to the ground. In an instant, a massive sword—nearly as tall as himself—materialized in his grasp, leaving the room in stunned silence.

"I made a promise, and I intend to keep it. This foolish drama ends now; there's no point in drawing it out." Yuan spoke steadily, approaching the kneeling Fedrick.

Emperor Philip and Empress Selena exchanged alarmed glances, their faces paling as they realized Yuan's intentions.

"Y-Yuan…" Emperor Philip started to speak, but the murderous glare Valeria shot him silenced him immediately.

'What is he planning? Is he really going to execute Fedrick, right here, in front of me and the entire family?!' Philip's mind raced, his forehead now slick with sweat.

"H-Husband…" Empress Selena murmured, clutching Philip's hand tightly. Her face was tense, her heart racing as the weight of the moment bore down on her.

Agatha, meanwhile, looked utterly ashen as she watched Yuan stride toward her son, the massive sword in his hand leaving no doubt about his intentions. He meant to kill her son.

"W-What are you doing?! Get away from me! Don't come any closer!" Fedrick yelled, stumbling backward in fear and collapsing onto the floor, his heavy frame unsteady.

Yuan paused, his eyes narrowing with disdain. "Are you really the second Crown Prince of this empire? Truly? You can't even keep yourself upright, yet you're scheming to seize the throne. How… laughable." He let out a short, mocking laugh, which earned quiet chuckles from his wives.

"W-Wha—" Fedrick stammered, his voice failing as he stared at Yuan in shock.

'H-How does he know about this? How did this bastard uncover our plans? Has someone betrayed us?!' Fedrick's mind raced, his gaze darting to his father and the others, searching for any sign of betrayal.

'T-This is it… We've been exposed… It's over,' Agatha thought, her face drained of all color as the weight of their situation crashed down on her.

The other members of the Imperial Family stood in stunned silence, their gazes locked on Agatha and Fedrick with shock and disgust. They had never imagined that a mother and son could conspire to stage a coup against their own family.

"T-Taking over the throne?" Daniel finally murmured, disbelief etched across his face. He looked from Yuan to his half-brother, unable to accept what he was hearing.