Chosen Mate of the Beastmen Empire by Lewis Reed

Chapter 416

Chapter 416

“Look at you–not even that sad, huh?” Banon shook his head. “Royalty’s heartless, as expected.”

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As a fellow royal, he got it better than anyone. Aurelius had the same blood as him–naturally, they were cut from the same cloth. Nyx might’ve had a place in his heart, but it’d never outweigh himself, the throne, or the empire.

One Nyx died, another queen would come along eventually. The world’s full of beauties–none might match her, but he could find traces of her in others. An emperor wouldn’t die for love; he’d just fake some sentimental mourning.

“Come on, kill me to avenge her,” Banon said, pointing at his chest, inviting Aurelius to stab. “It’s the only thing you can do for her now.”

S

He’d waited for this day too long, long past wanting to live, just lacking the guts to end it himself. The sickness tormented him beyond death. He craved a quick end. Dragging Nyx down with him before dying was his proudest scheme.

“Hurry up already. Maybe I’ll catch Nyx on the road to the underworld,” he taunted, grinning wickedly. “You broke her heart -maybe she’d rather run into my arms and be my ghost bride.”

Setting aside hatred, Banon still remembered that first stunning glimpse–her delicate features, dressed in finery, sitting there like a goddess.

Every time he bedded the Voss sisters after that, he tried to find Nyx in their faces. But despite some slight similarities, they were nothing like her.

“The Voss sisters are still alive, right?” he said, pretending to be helpful. “They’re Nyx’s half–sisters. Not as pretty, but still beauties. I trained them well. If you miss Nyx, you could use them to take the edge off.”

“Shut up,” Aurelius snapped, too disgusted to listen. Smiling, he drew his sword and stabbed it next to Banon’s head.

The sharp blade sliced off a strand of his hair. He felt a cold sting on his cheek, then pain–blood trickling down into his ear. His already trembling body shook harder. Fear gripped him, leaving him speechless.

“Aurelius?” Nyx tied up her horse and stepped inside with Erik, catching the scene. Her eyes widened in shock. She thought, “He didn’t kill him, did he?‘

She lifted her skirt and hurried over. Seeing the guy on the bed still breathing, she relaxed, grabbed Aurelius by the collar, checked him for injuries, and then pulled him away. “Stay back from him.”

He hadn’t showered for so long. He was filthy, sick, and probably crawling with fleas. She rarely judged people, but it was hard not to judge Banon.

Once a dazzling royal, he’d let himself fall apart without servants, losing all dignity. Noticing Nyx’s look, the clean–freak kitty quickly retracted his claws, obediently stepping to her side.

Banon lay still, limbs rigid, staring blankly at Nyx’s face. ‘So alike. How can she look so much like her. Not just her face- every frown, every gesture, every move was identical.

After a long silence, it hit him. “No wonder you’re not grieving–no wonder you scoff at the Voss sisters. You’ve already found a better replacement!”

“Replacement?” Nyx’s ears perked up at the weird word. Her brain churned, finally getting it. She nearly lost it, thinking,

‘Does malaria mess with his brain too?‘

The two males flanked Nyx, shielding her from Banon’s prying eyes. No replacement. There’d never be one. Nyx was Nyx.

Aurelius looked down at him, cutting through his delusions. “Deep down, you know you’re a total loser. You’re just lying to yourself, too scared to admit it.”

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felt stripped naked in public, his face turning liver–red. With all his strength, he lunged up like a madman, reaching

still alive? Why didn’t you get

all caught it from him

Erik smashed the sword sheath into him, knocking him flat. He couldn’t even crawl. It

so red–like the prettiest gems, a color he’d never seen. He mumbled, “She’s a fairy. Fairies don’t catch plagues. The fairy didn’t choose me,

so she cursed me with this sickness, making me suffer every

nuts. Losing all curiosity, she waved outside, unwilling to

his pulse once daily, record any changes, and watch for side effects,” she said.

duty without fail.” He was the old director’s star pupil, skilled and trustworthy. Nyx felt good leaving

watching her skirt flutter away with a fragrant breeze, flanked by two fierce beasts.

pill in his mouth. He swallowed it and closed his eyes, waiting to die. Days passed, but the expected poison never kicked in. Banon

thought was slow poison twice a day, he didn’t feel poisoned–instead, he started feeling better.

some strength back, he finally emerged from his despair and

tone was flat. “Malaria

like poison. He studied

or deathsworn who looked like this. But this guy saving him outta nowhere had

reason.

physician gave him a look like he

Banon bristled at the look, barely keeping his temper in

test her new medicine on you,” the physician said

“Nyx is

over, his mind racing with fantasies. ‘She

babbled, grabbing the physician’s sleeve. “Go tell Nyx I’ll do anything she says from

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fairy. He’d learned that and was ready to serve her willingly. A fairy

He set the pen down, checked Banon’s pulse, stared at him thoughtfully, then

Once he reported back to Lady Nyx, this recipe could go to disaster relief,

one last dose,” he said, pulling out the bottle and handing over a

Banon snatched it up and swallowed it without a second

off his joy, already picturing himself in dragon robes on the throne, Nyx in his

rushing up. Banon stumbled and fell, eyes wide in disbelief. He stiffly looked down, seeing his clothes

Before he could even say Nyx’s name, his face twisted, and he stopped breathing. The physician packed

got here, he’d known Banon was a dead man walking. Once the trial ended, he’d act. That

Hilltop City after his crimes, and turned against Aurelius, the emperor had been lenient enough to

touched Nyx. He crossed Aurelius and the

**

on Four Peaks Mountain, dropped dead in

been gravely ill and near death. It made perfect sense, so no one cared. Common folk only mentioned it over tea, clapping and saying he got what

court. Newspapers ran detailed mosquito–prevention

big waves. By winter, as the weather cooled, it