Chapter 355: Chapter 350: Royal Power Chapter 355: Chapter 350: Royal Power The elderly king, his hair awash in white, was seated on the throne. Pain twisted his features into a grimace of savage proportions. His breathing rasped, much like an aging bellows. He raised a feeble hand to mask his mouth.

“Cough, cough,” resounded a violent hacking cough. With every retch, a foul-smelling jet of black blood splattered his palm. An ugly mantra of blood and bile stained his robes and the throne, painting a grim image of sorrow.

“Father!” A pitiful voice rang out. A young girl, not even ten summers old and bedecked in finery, watched the bloodied king with tear-filled eyes.

“Do not weep, Remilia. You are the heir to Lockman Kingdom.” The king, pain gnawing at his body and soul, mustered a placid mien, trying to put on a brave display for his worried daughter.

Despite his efforts, anyone could see he wouldn’t live much longer, even the young, inexperience princess knew that her father might not last the day.

“I don’t want the throne, I only want my father,” wailed the little blue-haired princess as she rushed forward, yearning for the all-encompassing embrace of her father, a sanctuary she had always deemed the safest place in all the world.

“Remilia, stop right there! You are the successor to the throne, comport yourself accordingly!” King Belradin, seated high on the throne, looked at his approaching daughter with a stern expression and sharply reproved her.

“Father,” In spite of his haggard appearance, the stern-faced middle-aged man on the throne still exuded an air of authority. Princess Remilia took a step back, feeling wronged – she was only a few steps away from her father.

“Step back,” Looking upon his beloved daughter, the only heir he had left, the king on the brink of death withdrew his hand into his robes and clenched them, containing his emotions. He couldnotallow his daughter to touch him, to feel his frail form propped up by his robes. He could not burden his tiny daughter more than she was.

“Stand there. I have matters to discuss with you.”

“Father, can you hold me while we talk?”

“No,” The King said, his fingernails digging into his flesh as he denied his daughter’s request. “Remilia, you who are about to ascend the throne, can no longer be wilful.”

“I don’t want to be queen”, the small princess said with teary eyes.

“But you have no choice,” sighed the ailing King Belradin. “Your brothers and sisters all fell victim to traitorous schemes, and you are the only one of my progeny left. In this entire kingdom, you’re the only one with the right to the throne.”

King Belradin did not waste words on how she should rule. He himself had been a failure as a king, so he had no right to guide his successor. He had made his plans long ago, thus no lengthy instructions were necessary. Everything that needed to be arranged had already been taken care of.

He was merely satisfying his duties as a father in his dying moments by explaining things to his young daughter. After they spoke at length, he summoned the royal eunuchs using the signal ring on his hand.

“Inform all Ministers and Nobles above the Earl rank in the royal capital to come to the palace to meet the future King of the Lockman Kingdom.”

“Yes, your Majesty.” The eunuch looked at Princess Remilia standing in the middle of the hall with a complicated expression before leaving. It was not a good thing to succeed to the throne of Lockman Kingdom now. The burden of unimaginable pressure will fall on her, the smallest mistake could lead to a tragic end.

Soon, one by one, influential nobles and ministers gathered, entering the hall that symbolized the highest power centre of the Lockman Kingdom. After paying their respects, they humbly waited for the dying King’s final commands.

At this time, practically no one was arrogant enough to deliberately procrastinate and challenge the King’s dignity. Even though he was at death’s door, he was still a formidable presence.

King Belradin, a failing king, only did one thing when the subjects who ostensibly obeyed him entered the hall. He had his young daughter, Remilia Scarlett, stand by his side and watched these seemingly respectful fellows with cold eyes.

He knew that amongst these seemingly respectful subjects, there were those who wished for his instant downfall. His Lockman Kingdom was now rife with ambitious individuals coveting his throne.

The king’s current condition was the best evidence of this. He was at the prime of his life, yet he was dependent on potions for survival and time was running out. His progeny, nearly a dozen in number and taken before their time, had perished in various “accidents” in recent years. Now, the only one left of his descendants is Remilia, who had never stepped foot outside the palace.

This situation left him furious yet helpless. The atmosphere all around the Lockman Kingdom had 14 major personalities, only five of them obeyed the royal family. The rest were part of the Great Nobles who, in this time of waning royal authority, ran unchecked.

Thankfully, the royal family, with five of the top figures, was still the most powerful force in the Lockman Kingdom. Thus, none of the Great Nobles dared to openly rebel against the royal family.

But even this state of affairs angered the king. Despite still having the strongest military force, the royal family no longer had an absolute advantage and had lost its influence as it had in the beginning of the country.

He no longer had the will or means to upend this scenario, hence even though his own blood was being continuously sacrificed, the king could only bear with it. His desires fell on deaf ears.

“Your Majesty, everyone is here.” Once nearly fifty distinguished “big figures” had filled the hall, the eunuch who had been dispatched earlier came to the king’s side and respectfully informed him.

Belradin waved his hand, dismissing the eunuch, then looked at the obsequious subjects underneath him and declared his decision:
“Starting today, Remilia Scarlett is now the Queen of the Lockman Kingdom.”

“Your Majesty, isn’t this somewhat hurried?” Hearing Belradin simply declaring Remilia’s ascension to the throne, a court earl couldn’t help but voice out.

“This is not a formal coronation. Remilia is too young for that. She can be crowned as a queen, but she cannot wield the power of a queen. She lacks the ability to manage the Lockman Kingdom.

Hence, until she has the capability to govern the country and formally ascend to the throne, I need someone to manage the Lockman Kingdom for my daughter temporarily.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read