The Crownless Prince and the Cursed Betrothal

Chapter 2: The Crownless Prince and the Cursed Betrothal

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Blackthorn Manor – Morning

The morning sun bled through fractured stained-glass windows, spilling kaleidoscopic light across the dust-veiled marble floors of Blackthorn Manor. What had once been a beacon of nobility and magic now lay draped in silence—a forgotten monument to disgrace.

The halls, lined with peeling velvet tapestries and tarnished bronze sconces, whispered echoes of a proud lineage lost to time and betrayal. It was said the Blackthorn bloodline had once stood equal to the royal family. Now, even their servants pitied them.

Bootsteps echoed—steady, slow, and composed.

Aeron walked through the corridor with hands clasped behind his back, eyes half-lidded with quiet calculation. Every step was measured. Every breath deliberate.

To the remaining staff of House Blackthorn, the heir was a disappointment. Magicless. Timid. A recluse. Whispers followed him like shadows. Some said he cried himself to sleep. Others mocked his betrothal to the coldest princess in the land.

But the boy they spoke of… no longer existed.

Reborn within that frame was a man who once bent kings to his will, a mage whose very presence fractured mountains. Betrayed by the ones he loved, murdered by his own disciples—he had died a legend.

Now, he returned with a system forged in the Void, and a thirst for conquest in his veins.

[Void System Activated]

[Main Quest: Rise from Ruin]

Status: Initiated

Objective 1: Attend the Royal Summons without kneeling

Objective 2: Increase Dominion Influence (Current: 1%)

Reward: Forbidden Spell Fragment – [Chrono Shard]

+150 Harem Points upon Fiancée Encounter (First Emotional Trigger)

+1 Title Unlock: "Crownless Heir"

Aeron's lips curled into a faint smirk.

"Still dramatic, are we?" he murmured under his breath.

Only for hosts with a flair for vengeance, the Void System responded with dry amusement.

Besides, this one's going to sting a little.

As he passed the towering arch into the dining hall, two maids glanced up from polishing silverware. Their eyes widened in surprise. The heir never came this early.

They bowed stiffly, eyes fixed to the ground.

"My lord," one whispered. "B-breakfast is ready."

He offered only a nod, seating himself at the long oaken table that stretched like a forgotten battlefield. Upon it sat a meager spread—hard bread, thinly sliced meat, a chipped pot of tea.

A far cry from the glory their kitchens once knew.

Still, he ate calmly.

From the corridor beyond, an aged man approached. His silver hair was tied into a formal tail, and despite his hunched back, he walked with the dignity of a true butler. Gareth.

"You're early," the man said quietly, bowing low.

"And you're still loyal," Aeron replied, tearing a piece of bread.

Gareth's brows furrowed. "Something about you seems… changed."

Aeron gave no answer, only lifted his teacup. The bitter brew bit at his tongue. He welcomed the sensation. It kept his mind sharp.

A knock shattered the still air.

Gareth turned. "That will be the envoy."

The grand double doors creaked open to reveal a tall man clad in crimson robes, the sigil of the royal family embroidered in golden thread across his chest. Two armored knights flanked him, their faces emotionless beneath their helms.

The envoy's lips thinned as he stepped forward.

"By command of Her Highness, Princess Selene Estelle Rindell," he said with rehearsed coldness, "you are hereby summoned to the Royal Capital. Attendance is not optional. Failure to comply will be treated as treason."

He placed a rolled parchment—sealed with the royal crest—on the table.

Aeron didn't reach for it.

Instead, he chewed slowly, swallowed, and gestured with a flick of his fingers.

"Read it for me."

The envoy blinked. "My lord, protocol demands—"

"I'm done with protocol. Read."

The man hesitated, then obeyed.

The letter was as expected. Short. Formal. Hostile. A summons with no honor, no regard for tradition—no escort or gesture of courtesy.

An insult, wrapped in law.

As the envoy left, Gareth looked to Aeron, worry carved into the lines of his weathered face.

"This is dangerous," he said, voice low. "Lady Selene… she has never hidden her hatred of you."

Aeron stood, brushing invisible dust from his dark robe. His fingers lingered on the table's edge.

"Good," he murmured.

"Good?" Gareth echoed.

"It means I still occupy space in her mind. That's all I need."

Flashback – Nine Years Ago

The Royal Garden. Spring.

An eight-year-old Aeron Blackthorn stood at the far end of the flower maze, dirty and alone.

Opposite him, under a flowering magnolia, stood Selene.

Her beauty even then was terrifying—silver hair tied with sapphire threads, eyes like winter frost, lips curled into a cruel smile.

"I heard the Blackthorns lost their magic," she said sweetly. "Is that true, Aeron?"

He stayed silent.

Another noble girl whispered into her ear, "He cried yesterday. Behind the stables."

And Selene laughed.

It was the laugh that stayed with him longest.

Present – Blackthorn Manor

Dusk rolled over the horizon as orange light bathed the broken crest of House Blackthorn. Aeron ascended the staircase, his robe trailing behind him.

"Prepare the carriage," he said to Gareth without looking back. "We leave at dawn."

The butler hesitated. "Will you be safe?"

Aeron paused at the landing.

"She already tried to kill me once in this life."

He turned his head slightly, eyes dark and certain.

"She'll have to try harder."

That Night – Aeron's Chambers

Aeron stood before a cracked mirror, shirtless, revealing a lean body tempered by both youth and a powerful rebirth. The Void Seed pulsed faintly at his heart like a black jewel embedded beneath his skin.

He summoned the system again.

[System Notification: Affinity Path Opened – "Princess of Thorns"]

Emotional State: Contempt → Anticipation

Harem Points upon confrontation: +200 (if emotional destabilization is triggered)

Suggestion: Do not kneel at the Royal Court

Bonus Objective: Cause Heart Flutter (1st Affinity Spark)

[Side Quest Unlocked: The Path of Echoed Betrayal]

Reward: Memory Trace – Selene's Past Life Version

The candlelight danced across his reflection—eyes sharper than they had any right to be for a boy of seventeen. His jaw set. His breath steady.

"Let her glare," he whispered.

"Let her command."

"I do not kneel to traitors."

Dawn – Blackthorn Carriage

The horses neighed, stamping their hooves. Armor creaked as guards opened the gates.

Aeron sat inside the carriage, now clad in black and silver ceremonial garb, his collar laced with Void-thread embroidery. The Blackthorn crest, long tarnished, had been polished clean.

Outside, the world still believed him to be nothing.

But as the carriage rolled toward the rising sun, he whispered beneath his breath.

"You're not ready for me, Selene."

[Void System – Activation Route Confirmed]

Forbidden Path: Progressing

Target: Selene Estelle Rindell – Status: "Unawakened Past Life"

Time until confrontation: 22 hours, 58 minutes

Harem Points: 240

Dominion Influence: 1.6%

Title: Crownless Heir

He leaned his head against the carriage window, the reflection of his new self shimmering faintly.

"I wonder," he whispered. "Will the princess remember how to kneel?"

.

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