Chapter 1003: Reflection |
Silence filled the hall afterward. Michael quietly stared at the old man for several seconds, and then slowly, something seemed to click within his mind. His expression changed slightly afterward, and for the first time since entering the hall, Michael looked at the former king with a somewhat complicated gaze.
The old man was not trying to save his sons anymore. He already understood that was impossible. Instead, he simply did not want to personally witness their deaths.
The former king slowly exhaled afterward before calmly taking several steps forward. "Sir Mic," he said steadily, "I hope that with my life, you will at least see some sincerity from this kingdom."
Several expressions changed instantly afterward. Princess Priscilla’s eyes widened sharply. "Brother!"
The former king ignored them all and simply continued speaking calmly. "After this matter ends, the Lionheart Kingdom will forever treat you as an honored ally equal to the friend of our founding ancestor."
Many nobles immediately inhaled sharply. Then the old man continued further, "And Mage Lian will officially become the Grand Advisor of the royal family after this matter concludes."
This time, even Mage Lian himself looked genuinely stunned. The former king slowly looked back toward Michael afterward. "I cannot stop what must happen," he said calmly. "But this old man still hopes the kingdom itself can survive beyond tonight." .
Michael looked at the former king silently. For a moment, he wanted to say there was no need to go this far, but the words never left his mouth.
Because the only way to truly stop the old man from doing this was to spare his sons. And that was impossible.
Michael’s eyes flickered slightly afterward. Perhaps the former king understood that as well. Perhaps that was why he had chosen this path.
A father who could not save his children. A king who could not save his kingdom through strength. So in the end, he could only offer his own life as the final apology.
Princess Priscilla’s expression finally changed completely. "Brother, stop," she said in a low voice. For the first time, there was something close to panic within it.
The former king did not look at her. He only smiled faintly and replied softly, "It is fine."
Then, before anyone could react, he raised his hand. His palm struck the side of his own head.
PA!
The sound was not loud. There was no explosion of blood, no shattered skull, and no visible wound.
The former king simply stood there for a brief moment. Then the light in his eyes quietly went out.
His body remained upright for another second before slowly falling forward. "Brother!" Princess Priscilla’s voice finally broke.
The entire meeting hall descended into chaos afterward. Princess Priscilla rushed forward immediately, catching the former king’s falling body before it could hit the ground.
For the first time since Michael entered the palace, the calm and composed princess completely lost control. Her hands trembled slightly as she held the old man tightly.
"Brother...?" Her voice sounded hollow now. No response came.
The former king’s eyes remained slightly open, yet the life within them had already disappeared completely. Several nobles immediately knelt down in panic.
"Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty!!"
Even some of the older generals who had followed the former king for decades lowered their heads heavily, their expressions filled with grief. The atmosphere within the hall instantly became suffocating.
Meanwhile, the Ninth Prince completely froze in place. The Tenth Prince still floated weakly in the air while staring blankly at his father’s corpse.
Neither of them had expected this outcome. Deep despair finally appeared within their eyes.
Meanwhile, Michael stood silently within the center of the hall while watching everything unfold around him. The crying, the grief, and the sorrow filling the room strangely made him feel conflicted for the first time since arriving here.
A strange heaviness slowly settled within his chest afterward. The former king was not innocent. As ruler, he naturally carried responsibility for the corruption and decay within the kingdom.
Yet at the very end, the old man still chose to die as a father instead of a king. That alone complicated Michael’s emotions more than he expected.
Michael quietly looked toward the former king’s corpse again. Then slowly, he realized something.
The world was not truly divided into simple heroes and villains. Most people only stood from their own side.
To Arianne, the Ninth Prince and Tenth Prince were monsters who ruined her life. To Michael, the people before him were guilty individuals who deserved punishment.
But to the former king, those same people were still his children. No matter how terrible they became and no matter how unforgivable their sins were, they were still his sons.
Michael’s gaze lowered slightly afterward. For the first time in a long while, he felt something close to self-reflection.
Strength truly changed perspective. Before today, Michael had subconsciously viewed himself as the one carrying out justice.
Even now, he still believed the princes deserved death. That belief had not changed in the slightest.
Yet watching the people inside the hall grieve for the former king made Michael realize another uncomfortable truth. In some people’s stories, he himself would become the villain.
Not because he believed he was wrong, but because life itself was complicated. The former king had not died because Michael directly killed him, yet everyone present understood the truth.
His death happened because Michael arrived here demanding blood. That reality could not be denied no matter how one looked at it.
Michael quietly closed his eyes briefly before slowly opening them again. For some reason, instead of making him unstable, the realization actually calmed him further.
The world was not black and white. There was no perfect justice.
No matter what path someone chose, another person somewhere would still curse them for it. And perhaps that was simply reality.
A hard truth. But strangely enough, understanding it also brought a certain clarity to Michael’s mind.
He no longer felt the need to desperately justify every action he took. Nor did he feel the need to pretend he stood entirely righteous above everyone else.
He would simply do what he believed needed to be done and accept the consequences attached to it. If others viewed him as a villain for those actions, then so be it.
Because in the end, everyone lived from their own perspective. And from Michael’s perspective, the people who destroyed Arianne’s life still had to die.
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