Forget My Husband, I’ll Go Make Money: Chapter 363

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Succeeding the throne (12)

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The words from Aristine’s mouth resounded more heavily in his mind than the chaos ravaging his body.

“What, are, uuk–!”

Blood gushed out, cutting his words short.

Aristine watched this scene with no expression on her face.

“I’m merely returning to Father what you gave to me.”

With a small thud, she placed a glass bottle on the table.

When he saw the bottle, Alpheus’s eyes grew so wide that they seemed about to tear.

“I heard it’s a highly effective poison, and I guess that’s true. I never thought the effects would be so immediate after taking it.”

Aristine had been given this beautifully carved glass bottle as part of her wedding dowry by none other than Alpheus himself.

“Do you remember your words, Father?”

Aristine twirled the wine glass that had never reached her lips.

“You wanted Tarkan to die painfully, desperately, writing in pain from the betrayal.”

Aristine’s lips curved in a smile.

However, her eyes were filled with anger and sorrow.

“I can’t fathom why I left someone like you merely locked up.”

Her past self had been so naïve, simply satified with just imprisoning Alpheus.

If she had ended things back then, the former Empress, Roastel, and Alpheus would have never joined hands.

And if that never happened, Launelian and herself would have never been in danger.

‘Neither would Hamill.”

Hamir would have never had to make the extreme choice of erasing his life and giving up everything he had lived for.

“I must have grown soft.”

That wasn’t something to say in front of someone who was coughing up blood.

But Aristine genuinely felt that way about her past self.

“There was a time where I wished you’d disappear from this world, that even the air you breathe is a waste.”

She had certainly thought so when she was leaving Silvanus.

But she had forgotten.

“Because I was happy, you see.”

Life outside had its own challenges, but for the first time, she was happy.

As the saying goes, happiness dulls the blade.

“But thanks to you, I am awake again.”

When she imprisoned the deposed emperor, Aristine thought he couldn’t do anything anymore.

However, Alpheus had nearly killed Launelian.

The same thing was true now.

If she spared his life, thinking he couldn’t do anything anymore, who would he target next?

‘Sion.’

The image of her young son flashed before Aristine’s eyes.

A baby was very easy to kill.

Aristine clenched her fist tightly.

She was not going to repeat her past mistakes.

Her son, her husband, her brother… she was going to protect everyone around her.

This was the last thing she had to do before becoming the emperor who united the two nations.

“You, keuk, you wench, urk, Aris, Aristine…”

Alpheus’s blood-red eyes glared at Aristine wishing to burn her alive.

His trembling hand stretched towards Aristine but was unable to reach her.

“Don’t worry. It won’t be over anytime soon.”

Aristine spoke coldly as she watched his fingers claw at the table.

“Slowly, gradually, painfully. Your organs will be ripped to shreds and melted away, making even breathing torture. Apparently, that’s how this poison kills.”

“You, heuk, you…!”

“Ah, I’m sure you know that best, right, Father?”

Her sharp, purple eyes pierced Alpheus.

《I can’t let that bastard die peacefully. Kill him slowly, gradually, and painfully. My gift to you will help with that. His organs will be ripped to shreds and melted away, making every breath a torment until he’s finally gone.》

That was what Alpheus had said to Aristine before she left Silvanus.

“After all, it was you who gave me this poison to kill my husband, Father.”

“Ga, urk, dai!”

Alpheus’s words were now incomprehensible. Indeed, even breathing looked painful for him, just as he had described.

Yet, despite everything, Alpheus did not back down. Veins bulged on his forehead, and he glared at Aristine with bloodshot eyes, refusing to even blink.

His eyes was filled more with madness than rage.

He could not accept that the insignificant insect he discarded was now driving him to his death. Not only that, she was using his own gift and repeating his own words.

“Gah, ugh, aaaargh! Huff, you, keuk!”

Alpheus stretched his hand towards Aristine again, as if wanting to strangle her. But his body was already beyond his control.

Aristine, showing no reaction, took a sip of water and then stood up.

“Oh no, it seems our time is up.”

She looked down at Alpheus, who was either sitting or collapsing; it was hard to tell.

“I’d love to stay and witness your dying throes, but I have important matters to attend to today, so I must be going.”

A maid approached quietly and adjusted the hem of Aristine’s cloak.

“I can’t miss my one-in-a-lifetime coronation because of you now, can I?”

Alpheus’s eyes focused on the coronation robes Aristine was wearing.

Aristine observed the rising fury in his eyes and quietly spoke.

“Oh right, let me clear up one misunderstanding before I leave.”

Slowly, her heavy dress swept smoothly over the well-manicured lawn. Aristine moved to stand beside Alpheus, close enough to touch him with just a slight motion.

Just as Alpheus began struggling to move his convulsing arm, Aristine leaned in and spoke softly into his ear.

“Silvanus has not subjugated Irugo.”

Alpheus’s movements froze at her incomprehensible words.

Not because he didn’t understand, but because he didn’t want to understand.

“Tarkan and I will jointly rule both nations.”

Aristine kindly explained it to him.

“Tarkan, the prince of Irugo, whom you despised so much and wanted dead, will become the emperor of both Silvanus and Irugo.”

A sharp wheezing breath escaped from Alpheus’s pale lips, scraping harshly against his throat.

That meant that in the coronation today, not only Aristine, but also—

‘That damn bastard will become emperor?!’

“Congratulations on achieving your long-cherished wish. Our child will be the sole emperor of both nations, bringing us complete and permanent unification.”

Alpheus’s body convulsed violently, and the chair rattled loudly.

It meant that in the end, the blood of that filthy barbarian would rule this continent. It never occurred to Alpheus that the ‘blood’ was also his own bloodline.

A grandson with filthy blood was not his grandchild.

‘How dare you… how dare you…!’

Tears of blood flowed from Alpheus’s eyes.

Whether it was due to the poisoned pain in his stomach or his hatred, it was impossible to tell.

A thorny inferno burned in his chest.

Such anger was impossible to bear without anywhere to vent.

“Well then.”

Aristine turned to leave. Alpheus watched her back as she walked away.

Her radiant silver hair, the emperor’s emblem on the immaculate white coronation robes, all gleaming brightly.

A servant drew back the curtain for Aristine.

Alpheus refused to let her leave while he could only utter disgusting groans. He bit his tongue and managed to utter a word.

“Aristine!”

His cry was akin to a demon wailing from the depths of hell.

Standing beneath the curtain, Aristine slowly turned around. There was no smile on her face. Only the stern visage of an emperor.

That was all.

Aristine paid no further attention and walked out of the awning.

Even his last desperate cry could not reach her.

Others dealt with Alpheus.

“Know your place, deposed!”

“As a criminal, daring to utter the emperor’s name is blasphemy!”

Through the fluttering curtains, Aristine could see the knights kneeling before her.

The tables had completely turned.

The current scene overlapped with the image of young Aristine being mistreated and turned away.

Her vision blurred.

In the distance, cheers could be heard. They were the voices of the people gathered for the coronation, rejoicing at the ascension of the new emperor.

Aristine walked steadily, no hesitation in her steps.

She had no regrets.

Alpheus had tried to kill his own daughter, Aristine, to ignite a war.

If his plan had succeeded, tens of thousands would have died unjustly.

Not only that, he had also tried to kill Tarkan and, even in his imprisonment, had attempted to kill his own children, Launelian and Aristine.

‘If I hadn’t seen through his plans, brother Launelian would already be…’

This was revenge.

But it was also for the future.

Only by tying the knot, could she finally move forward, towards the future.

*.*.*

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