TCFGBH Chapter 124

The room was eerily silent.

Ludwig’s words were so shocking that Xia Yan couldn’t keep his expression in check. His face was filled with confusion, and he almost blurted out, “Are you okay?” Fortunately, the remaining shred of his rationality stopped his mouth.

He pretended to be insulted: “Are you mocking me?”

Everyone knew that his initial words were clearly just out of anger.

In a constitutional monarchy, Ludwig, as the crown prince, was second only to the king and above all others. The Xia family, though powerful and influential, could never compare to the royal family.

The usually proud and indifferent young man’s face flushed with anger, and the reversal of status made his golden eyes show a hint of fragility. The contrast between his usual self and this moment was enough to stir anyone’s emotions.

Grover felt a fire stir within him.

Ludwig turned his body, blocking Grover’s line of sight, and in the face of the young man’s astonishment, he bluntly made his offer: “I will make you king.”

???

What on earth is he talking about?

Facing the young man’s incredulous expression, Ludwig slowly took his right hand, leaned down, and placed a kiss of loyalty on his fingertips. “As long as you agree to marry me, I will be your most loyal dog.”

His gaze was bold and passionate, filled with love, as he was willing to sacrifice everything to earn the young man’s favor.

Xia Yan’s gaze wavered, and inside, he was breaking down.

[Ahhh!!! What is wrong with the protagonist gong? I want to log off!!!]

System… the system sighed, lighting a cigarette: [Forget it, I’m used to it.]

[… ]

The young man remained silent for a long time. Ludwig grew anxious. This hesitation triggered his instincts, and before his mind could fully process it, he had already made up his mind, speaking without waiting for the young man to respond: “You once said that benefit comes first. The things I can offer you far outweigh what Ian Hyde can give.”

Since he had once worked with space pirates for benefit, why would he now refuse Ludwig?

Xia Yan understood the underlying meaning of his words.

Don’t ask, just despair.

Who knew that what he had said to build his own character would now come back to bite him, like a boomerang hitting him hard? The words of refusal were stuck in his throat, and he couldn’t say them out loud.

Ludwig pretended not to understand the young man’s hesitation and delivered the final blow: “Tonight I will tell my father my decision. You will become king, I swear.”

Such a major decision was being made so casually.

Xia Yan: [… ]

The system comforted him: [Look on the bright side, at least you’ve preserved your character points.]

As long as the ‘salary’ is secured, everything is negotiable.

The most bewildered person was Grover. His gaze shifted back and forth between the two, his expression a mix of sadness, understanding… After everything settled, he looked at Xia Yan with a deep, understanding gaze: “I see now.”

“?”

“No wonder you’ve remained so calm. You were prepared all along.”

Xia Yan: “???” What? Wasn’t the three parts of pain, five parts of disappointment, and two parts of frustration I showed before not clear enough?

Grover: “I lost, and I will leave the capital. I will never return here.”

Since Xia Yan and Ludwig shared a dorm room and spent so much time together, it was clear they knew each other’s true identities. When the Zergtide happened, that’s why he would go to such lengths to save him.

His efforts had been rewarded.

Ludwig was willing to give up the throne just to be with Xia Yan and was happy to be the man behind him. Xia Yan’s manipulation and strategy weren’t unjustified.

Grover gave Xia Yan one last look, then turned and left decisively.

Ludwig nodded in satisfaction.

“…”

Xia Yan weakly asked the system: [What did he imagine?]

[…] The system fell silent for a moment: [Look on the bright side, at least he won’t bother you with your romance.]

Xia Yan: [… ]

If you can’t say anything useful, just stay quiet, thank you.

–

Before Xia Yan could fully react, everything had already settled.

He didn’t know what reason Ludwig had used to convince Clarence to make him the crown prince, but the public reaction was good.

The original owner had maintained a solid reputation, and after Xia Yan took over, despite doing some “bad things,” his selfless act of rushing into the Zerg tide to save his teammates deeply moved the audience, who now regretted their earlier judgments of him.

Then, his strength in killing the Zerg Queen further proved his power.

The empire admired strength.

A strong and kind emperor was worthy of their loyalty.

Xia Yan: “…” Help me!!!

No one responded. He tried to save himself by politely speaking to his parents during their visit: “Since the emperor has a biological son, is it really appropriate for me to take the throne?”

Xia Jiuqian shook his head: “Since the emperor has already announced publicly and named you his heir, he won’t go back on his word.”

Even kings have their dignity. Such a big matter will never be reneged upon.

“…”

Seeing Xia Yan’s strange expression, Xia Jiuqian asked, “You’ve always wanted to be king, why are you so upset now that you’ve succeeded?”

Xia Yan put on a fake smile and said insincerely: “No, I’m very happy.”

Xia Jiuqian sensed something was off and thought for a moment: “… You don’t like Ludwig, and you don’t want to marry him? You still like that space pirate?”

“…” Xia Yan hesitated. “Well, not exactly.”

What kind of devilish choice is this? Ludwig or Ian, of course, he was more familiar with Ludwig, but that didn’t mean he wanted to marry him!!!

“Well, that’s good.” Xia Jiuqian sighed in relief.

The news that Xia Yan would be marrying Ludwig had already spread to the public, and if he backed out now, it would be a huge loss of face for the royal family.

Clarence and Aina, who had been longing to find their son, would turn into devils and make Xia Yan pay any price.

Although they had prepared an escape route, how could fleeing from the royal family’s pursuit compare to ascending to the throne?

Time passed day by day.

Xia Yan was muddled through his engagement to Ludwig, becoming the crown prince, and entering his third year. Meanwhile, Ian secretly visited him through the holographic world.

He looked gloomy, his eyes filled with reluctance: “You chose him, didn’t you?”

“…” If I said I was forced into this position, would you believe me?

The young man’s silence was taken by Ian as an affirmation.

“Compared to power, I’m truly no match for him.” Ian’s face was pale, and he forced a smile, “But no matter what, I will stand by your side with all my strength.”

Xia Yan: “???”

Wait! What do you mean?

He watched Ian leave with confusion, subconsciously calling out: [System?]

The system, watching the collapsed storyline, had already given up: [Don’t ask me, I don’t know either. Anyway, just think of it as a vacation. Clarence won’t abdicate so early, so just enjoy your time.]

–

The soul repair process took longer than the system had predicted.

Before long, Xia Yan had been there for five years. After graduating from military school, he and Ludwig went to the border to fight against the Zerg. They worked together and performed excellently.

Meanwhile, Clarence felt that the time was right and decided to abdicate to Xia Yan.

Xia Yan: “…”

The wedding ceremony and the coronation ceremony were held on the same day. Xia Yan, muddled, became king and also completed his first wedding, gaining a loyal and handsome husband.

Oh! By the way,

Ian joined the empire. His talents were so strong that when Clarence ascended, Ian secretly completed some tasks, successfully gaining imperial citizenship.

As for his space pirate group, some followed him, while others, accustomed to freedom, were given generous severance packages.

Fortunately, Ian didn’t take over the pirate group for long. He only enjoyed drawing, had plenty of money, and didn’t need to hijack civilian spaceships for money. He used them more as mobile fortresses, which made it easier for the Empire to accept him.

Indeed, the heavens wouldn’t choose an evil person to be the foundation of the world.

When Xia Yan got married, Ian, now a newly appointed colonel, couldn’t attend due to a mission. He sent a gift instead, a white box with a red heart embedded on the outside, standing out among the pile of presents.

“…”

The guests appeared calm on the outside, but inside, a storm was brewing. Back in military school, Ian’s “lover” had been an unresolved mystery. Now, it seemed they were quietly observing Ludwig, the former heir to the throne, who had voluntarily renounced his claim.

The man wore a white suit, tied with a bow tie, his golden hair softly resting against his face. His expression was calm, but there was a hint of darkness in his eyes, as if a storm was gathering.

Everyone: “…” Jealous.

Xia Yan: “…”

As the last trace of sunlight faded below the horizon, night fell. Deep within the palace, in the grand and bright imperial residence, the newlywed couple sat across from each other. The air was filled with the scent of wine, tinged with an ambiguous and enchanting atmosphere.

The young man’s pale face was tinged with a hint of red, his lips glistening with the wine, the tie already loosened, revealing a small section of his collarbone.

Ludwig’s gaze lingered on the red mole on his collarbone, and his Adam’s apple bobbed.

He wanted to kiss him.

He reached out, wrapping his arms around the slender waist of the young man, his head resting against his neck. His warm breath brushed against Xia Yan’s ear as he softly asked, “May I?”

“Mm.”

Xia Yan had already been prepared for this.

After five years of living together, it was impossible for Xia Yan to say he had no feelings for Ludwig. Perhaps it wasn’t deep love, but he definitely had affection.

The once proud and cold golden eyes clearly reflected the man’s profile.

Ludwig raised his head and hesitated. “…Aren’t you regretful? Ian, he…”

“Ludwig.” Xia Yan cupped the man’s face, “I chose you.”

No matter the reasons before, the outcome was already decided. Looking back was meaningless.

Hearing the young man dismiss Ian Hyde, Ludwig’s lips curved into a smile, satisfied like a winner. In the end, it was him who had won Xia Yan’s heart.