(1) Living As the Villainess Queen

Chapter 40

"Hurrah!!!"

"Long live the King!"

"Long live the King!"

The chants were deafening. The air was rife with fervor, the hearts were zealous.

Besides a few unavoidable casualties, the Kingdom had not suffered much. The atmosphere was boisterous as soldiers, with pride, celebrated their victory against the larks. Their chants were a tribute, an extension of their belief that their victory was made possible by the eminent presence of their King.

Kasser's gaze swiftly ran across the soldiers hailing him. His calm indifference did not reflect any self-pride or delight as the hero that led the Kingdom to victory. Since the time he ascended the throne, this was his first battle. He dared not be complacent or relaxed, for he knew not how many larks awaited him the coming two months. So, to him, today was only just the first step, the first days of those two months. Today, he was more mindful than joyful.

That said, he was never the one to dampen spirits by letting his men know of his thoughts. He was certain they were aware, and were living in this moment, throwing the thoughts of the impending danger to the back of their minds, extolling him as their leader. And perhaps, in doing so, even preparing for the future.

Thus, he let them be, let his men bask in this triumph, for in two months' time, some would be severely injured while some would be out of sight forever.

A sacrifice is a sacrifice.

His wish was not to lose any of his people; truth was, it was only a wishful thinking. It was between this wish and truth that the next two months lay.

He turned to face the vast expanse of the Dead Sea, turned again to look at the Kingdom on the inner side of the wall...it's streets...buildings...homes.

This was his Kingdom. His people.

The treasure that he has to protect all his life, was right here.

The larks that lurked around the desert were monsters that were too dangerous for people to manage. It was rare for snake larks the size of people to creep into other kingdoms. But in Hashi, they were commonly found.

Without him, without the King, the people of the Kingdom of Hashi would die fighting these monsters. And before they knew it, the kingdom would soon perish. It did not take much to imagine how wretched the kingdom would be without their King. Albeit, it was terrifying to survive without a king.

There must be an heir. An heir who would protect the Kingdom at all costs when I'm gone.

As he deliberated, surmised and arrived at this conclusion for his kingdom's situation, his thoughts slowly drifted to his father, the Former King. Today, he was able to finally understand his desperation to give birth to a Crown Prince, even if it meant marrying that woman.

I am no different.

He sneered at himself. The Former Queen wasn't a good person, an irreplaceable queen, or even a good mother to her children. And none of these were the reasons his father married her. Neither was it love. The sole reason, the only driving force was sustenance. It was no different then, it was no different now.

I am wasting my time.

He felt he was entangling himself in trivial things, losing sight of his priority. What did it matter if the Queen had actually lost or was pretending to lose her memory? As long as she could give birth to an heir, it did not matter what was up in her head.

The price of losing his three-year patience and the national treasure was a fortune. He did not have time to sit around and be emotional. An heir was no privilege, but a prerequisite.