Avoid The Lead! [[COMPLETED]]

19. The Last Life

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True to her word, Celia convinced her father, and he sent in a proposal to cancel the engagement, and during that time, Celia refused to meet Vitav, even after her room was nearly filled with his delivered gifts.

But then King Vien visited himself, asking Lord Scarlett to reconsider.

"The people have accepted her as the perfect Queen! Do you want that other daughter of yours on the throne?!"

There was logic in his words, and Vitav added the icing on the cake by kneeling and begging.

"It was Novia Scarlett! She seduced me one night and then threatened to spread rumors about our relationship! I'm already an illegitimate Prince... I panicked and went along with her!"

"Child," King Vien took Celia's hand. "I've already accepted you as my only daughter-in-law. My son is foolish, but will you abandon this old man? Luxia needs you..."

King Vien sounded genuinely concerned, and Celia was unable to turn down such an earnest request. She relented, and remained engaged to Vitav.

As punishment, Novia and her mother were sent out of Blixia to live in one of the far-off Scarlett residences, and Celia breathed a sigh of relief.

She had sent Novia out of the capital in previous lives but had always done it herself.

This time, the King had personally sent Novia and her mother out, so...

'Perhaps things will be different!' she hoped.

After that, Vitav privately apologized to her again to the point where she truly believed Novia had indeed forced him!

It seemed logical! Twenty-five lifetimes, and Novia had been the one to kill her each time... Who else could be a bigger villain?!

Evil had lost, and Good had won, and Celia was happy as Vitav showered her with even more love and attention than before.

The seasons went by, and it came to the time when the King was to abdicate the throne.

But it was as if Celia's eyes were opened wider than before, and she could notice signs that she previously ignored...

In past lives, the move to give up the throne always seemed like something King Vien wanted to do, but now, Celia couldn't help feeling like he was being forced to do this.

And it didn't take too much investigation to prove her suspicion.

Vitav had somehow joined hands with the fairies, and they had infiltrated the court, replacing core officials and holding the strongest mages hostage, including her father!

"Your Majesty! Abdicating the throne might not be the smartest move to make!" Celia heard her father say one day after she had boldly planted one of her ice flowers in the throne room.

"There's no other way..." King Vien's grave reply bore the weight of a defeated King. "We don't know who they've replaced. For all I know, the Grand Mages aren't even themselves!

"If I remain stubborn and they destroy the pillars of Luxia, who will fight back?"

"But we can't let someone like Vitav rule!" Lord Scarlett protested, shocking Celia.

She had always believed her father liked Vitav, but understood when he said, "We were fooled... We were all fooled!"

"I wasn't completely fooled, but he was too clever. After Taze's illness passed the third year, Vitav and his mother forced my hand with the Council. And even after that, he has been slowly brainwashing the commoners in his favour, while making the nobles believe I favour him.