Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate-Chapter 110: Plagiarize Like a Pro

Since an open battle was impossible with the emperor present in the kingdom, Elder Alfred resorted to a non-violent approach.

He grumbled, cursing Emperor Kaan’s visit as untimely. Elder Alfred boasted that he had held back out of respect for the emperor.

He claimed that if he had been allowed to fight King Valentin, he would have surely won. However, deep down, he questioned the outcome of such a fight.

Even though he was an elder, it had been so long since he had last exerted his full power that he was unsure whether his skills had gone rusty with time and neglect.

On the other hand, King Valentin was the brother of the exceptional Amara. The king had always been an outstanding vampire in battles, excelling both in physical prowess and strategic thinking.

However, Amara’s extraordinary strength had overshadowed King Valentin’s true worth.

In truth, Elder Alfred was secretly relieved that the emperor’s presence provided a convenient excuse to avoid a direct confrontation with the king.

Despite his disdain for the royal family, Elder Alfred went on and shamelessly adopted Lady Maris’s strategy to topple King Valentin from the throne.

He began gathering signatures for a petition to dethrone the king, mirroring the process Lady Maris had used to prevent Riona from joining the Nightwardens.

The petition required signatures from half of the high nobles and a quarter of the elders. If one wished to include the signature of lower-ranked nobles, it demanded support from three-quarters of their total number.

This method was originally devised by Lady Maris to give her daughter a second chance in a sparring match against Riona. It was now being brazenly used by Elder Alfred.

"Arrange an audience with Emperor Kaan. And Lady Tanith, accompany me to the negotiation. Your presence will help keep me calm if I act rashly before His Majesty," ordered the elder.

In reality, Elder Alfred feared his tongue might betray him, leaving him at a loss for words during the negotiation.

He still vividly remembered the intimidation he had felt from the emperor when he had forcefully ended the confrontation between the elder and the king.

Lady Tanith considered voicing her doubts.

Elder Alfred’s first impression on Emperor Kaan had been anything but favorable, and she believed that approaching the emperor to betray King Valentin was a risky move.

After all, Emperor Kaan was a leader in his own right and might sympathize more with King Valentin than with the elder. This plan could easily backfire, causing more harm to Elder Alfred than good.

However, seeing the current situation and knowing how stubborn the elder was, Lady Tanith had little choice but to follow along.

Since Elder Alfred was unwilling to reconsider his allies, there was no other candidate who could easily make up for the three votes they needed.

"Yes, Your Excellency," she replied, silently calculating the best approach to gain Emperor Kaan’s favor.

***

Sir Kai had fully expected to be expelled from the Nightwarden. He was certain he’d be thrown into the dungeon, among the kingdom’s most dangerous criminals, awaiting execution.

But reality turned out to be very different. Instead of being summoned to the royal palace—or even to his direct superior’s office—Sir Kai continued his duties as if nothing had happened.

To his surprise, few had heard of his involvement in Lady Riona’s escape. When he reported to the General, his confession was brushed off, dismissed with a casual indifference since no orders had come from the king.

Every time he went to bed, he couldn’t help but recall what had happened that day. Then, he remembered how King Valentin let Lady Riona escape. The king had consciously let them go out of the palace gate.

This left him puzzled. Did this mean King Valentin no longer suspected Lady Riona of treason? Had the king finally granted her the freedom to join the Nightwarden?

And if that were true, wouldn’t it be safe for Lady Riona to return to the Kingdom of Eira now?

Before sending Lady Riona a letter with the hopeful news, Sir Kai decided to verify it first. After the morning briefing, he made his way to Sir Dusan’s office and knocked on the door.

"I’d like to request an audience with His Majesty the King," he stated.

Sir Dusan sighed deeply, rubbing his temples as if the mere mention of the request exhausted him. "What’s your purpose?" he asked, his voice tinged with weariness.

"Is Lady Riona allowed to join the Nightwarden now? She earned her place—she should already be a Nightwatch Novice." freewebnσvel.cѳm

"I doubt it," Sir Dusan replied, shaking his head. "Listen, Sir Kai, the palace is in turmoil right now. This is not the time for His Majesty to concern himself with such trivial matters."

Sir Kai didn’t see this as a trivial matter. For some, employment was more than just a job—it was their lifeline.

Considering how hard Lady Riona had fought to earn her place in the Nightwarden, he believed she was one of those people.

"It’s not our place to decide what’s trivial, Sir Dusan. What may seem insignificant to us could mean everything to someone else. We’re here to protect the people of this kingdom, and that includes paying attention to individual needs when we can," Sir Kai said, his voice firm with conviction.

The General looked up, his expression irritated. "When I say trivial, I mean anything less urgent than war. The elders are planning a petition to dethrone His Majesty. The palace is in chaos, especially with the Emperor around."

The weight of Sir Dusan’s words hit Sir Kai, and he realized his request might indeed seem trivial in the current climate. Still, he couldn’t shake his determination to secure Lady Riona’s rightful place in the Nightwarden.

"Is this related to the Blood Moon child incident?" Sir Kai asked cautiously. He had only heard about the incident from rumors since returning to the kingdom.

But even as he spoke, he wondered: would King Valentin’s decision even matter if the King were dethroned?

He vividly remembered the fury in Elder Alfred’s eyes when he’d ordered the soldiers to kill Lady Riona. If the elder succeeded in dethroning King Valentin, Lady Riona’s life would be in grave danger.

As that thought crossed his mind, determination surged within him. Involuntarily, he bit his lower lip and slammed his large palm on the table.

"I volunteer to assist His Majesty the King. Sir Dusan, please put me to use. I’ll do whatever it takes to ensure His Majesty’s safety and thwart Elder Alfred’s sinister plot."