Damien Gray twisted Morgan Shangguan's hair between his fingers, his smile tinged with sarcasm. "Minister Magnus Shangguan, you want me to kill him for you and take all the blame? Aren't you dreaming a bit too wildly?"
A hint of amusement flickered in Morgan Shangguan's eyes. She had known long before coming here that Damien Gray would never kindly help Minister Magnus Shangguan, nor would he help Adrian Yarrow. He wanted to deal with both of them at once, but without taking the blame himself!
Minister Magnus Shangguan spoke solemnly, "Prince Damien, the Ghost King, if I become emperor, I naturally won't pursue your responsibility. You can escape this arranged marriage—it's the condition we agreed upon long ago. But if you go back on your word and give someone else a chance, you might end up losing everything yourself!"
In fact, the reason Minister Magnus Shangguan dared to cooperate with Damien Gray was because he believed Damien Gray lacked ambition and would never covet the throne of Azure Kingdom. During the Silvermoon Kingdom's succession struggle, there was never any word of Damien Gray making a move. Now that he knew Damien Gray had influence in the martial world, he was even more convinced that Damien wasn't interested—otherwise, how could he have stayed so silent? After so many years as an official, he could read people clearly.
Coincidentally, Damien Gray was troubled by the marriage alliance, so working with him was the perfect opportunity. He could use Damien Gray to eliminate Adrian Yarrow and pin all the blame for Adrian's death on him. Whether the assassin was caught or not depended on Damien's mood. If he was pleased and spared Damien Gray, he wouldn't have to worry about him taking advantage of the chaos in Azure Kingdom. If not, after ascending the throne, he could rally the nation and wipe out the Ghost Guild—why not?
But how could those schemes possibly escape Damien Gray's notice?
A strange smile curled at Damien Gray's lips as he spoke slowly, "Minister Magnus Shangguan, rest assured—no one will hold me accountable. You barged into the palace with troops in the dead of night; your rebellion is a fact. His Majesty the Emperor died by your hand, and even if you die as a traitor, everyone will only applaud!"
Minister Magnus Shangguan's face turned ugly. He pointed at Damien Gray, stammering, "You... you..." Unable to finish a sentence, his hand trembled and his complexion paled. Glancing at the Ghost Guild assassins, fear crept into his heart. Although he'd brought many men, these assassins alone could wipe out all the palace guards, letting him march in unopposed. How could his own men possibly stand against them?
He had been thoroughly outmaneuvered by Damien Gray, but there was no way to voice his grievance. Even if he was killed, he'd die with a tarnished name. What a cunning Damien Gray! What a Prince Damien, the Ghost King!
If it weren't for his own predicament, Adrian Yarrow might have laughed aloud at Minister Magnus Shangguan's misfortune. But now, with his life in Damien Gray's hands, there was nothing funny about it at all.
"Damien Gray, if you kill me, the Azure Kingdom will plunge into chaos. Have you considered the safety of the people?"
Damien Gray looked at him coldly, completely unmoved. He replied indifferently, "I'm not the emperor, so that's not my concern. If you care so much for your people, then you shouldn't keep doing things that anger me!" His last sentence carried an unmistakable chill.
Adrian Yarrow lowered his gaze, a flash of cold determination in his eyes. If he wanted to survive, he had to risk everything now!
Morgan Shangguan and Damien Gray stood at the center of the Imperial Study, surrounded by Ghost Guild assassins. Suddenly, Adrian Yarrow slammed his palm onto the desk, leapt up, and reached out like a claw, aiming straight for Morgan Shangguan's neck.
Morgan Shangguan pressed down Damien Gray's hand, allowing Adrian Yarrow to seize her. Damien Gray frowned, looking somewhat helpless. "Morgan..." He turned his cold, frightening gaze on Adrian Yarrow. This wasn't the first time Adrian had used Morgan as a hostage. If Damien could still restrain himself from acting, he wouldn't be Damien Gray!
He rather enjoyed seeing people fall from heaven to hell. Adrian Yarrow had had his taste of being emperor for a few days—now it was time for him to take a fall!
Morgan Shangguan glanced at Damien Gray reassuringly and sighed softly, "It seems I'm really suited to being a hostage! Why am I always seen as Damien Gray's weakness?"
Adrian Yarrow loosened his grip a little and said apologetically, "I'm sorry. Once Damien Gray is dealt with, I'll make you my empress!"
Morgan Shangguan let out a light, slightly sarcastic laugh. "Make me your empress? Emperor Adrian, we hardly know each other! You're still thinking about dealing with Damien Gray at a time like this? Aren't you a bit too confident?"
Damien Gray's face grew even darker at Adrian Yarrow's words. Even now, he couldn't help coveting his Princess Consort. This Adrian Yarrow was truly detestable—no, he deserved a fate worse than death!
Damien Gray looked at Morgan Shangguan with a stern face. "Morgan, have you had enough fun? If you keep dragging this out, I'll think you can't bear to see him die!"
Morgan Shangguan couldn't help but laugh aloud. "This is the first time I've ever been threatened like this."
Damien Gray's expression softened a little. "As long as it works, that's all that matters!"
Morgan Shangguan looked thoughtfully at Damien Gray, then suddenly said, "Prince Damien, I just realized you've become spoiled by me!"
"Ahem..." One of the Ghost Guild assassins started coughing uncontrollably, glancing at Morgan Shangguan and then at Damien Gray. Had their roles been reversed? That person was, of course, Logan Qian. The others weren't as bold as he was—Ethan Gu and Maxwell Jing just watched, unfazed by the spectacle.
Adrian Yarrow watched the two of them flirting at such a moment, completely ignoring his threats. He was angry, but also uneasy. Looking at the person he held captive, he shouted, "I promised you the position of empress—what more could you possibly want?"
Morgan Shangguan quickly raised her hand and gripped his wrist. Adrian Yarrow sensed her movement and tried to tighten his hold, but found he had no strength left. When his other hand moved, a wave of pain shot through him—then only pain remained, and he was powerless. Morgan easily subdued him, her face calm and smiling as she answered his earlier question: "What I want, he will always give me. What I don't want, he will never force on me. As for an empress's position—do you really think he couldn't give me that if I wanted it?"
In Damien Gray's heart, she was more important than the throne. Likewise, in her heart, the position of empress meant nothing compared to him. Sadly, no one else seemed to understand this!