Reincarnate as the Villainess's Husband - Chapter 69

Chapter 69: Family affairs
As Neonidas made his way to his room, he reviewed his plans. In just one day, he had implemented a formula that allowed him to use two powerful women to his advantage with certainty.

Now, Neonidas needed to prepare for the impending war, which was drawing nearer by the day. Relations between the Hindonpon Kingdom and the Empire had deteriorated to an unprecedented low over the past weeks. Other states, even factions from different continents, were already planning to extract gains from the inevitable conflict. The winner of the war seemed obvious.

Because of this, states with no vested interest were severing ties with the Hindonpon Kingdom one by one. Yet, many of them secretly sold war supplies at exorbitant prices. At present, the Hindonpon Kingdom was preparing for a full-scale mobilization, indicating that the war would be far more grueling than expected.

The Empire, aware of the situation, had begun pressuring Neonidas to initiate the war as soon as possible. Of course, building an army was no easy task, especially one on such a large scale. For this reason, Neonidas had sent a budget request to the Empire under the pretext of army formation. For now, the request was under discussion, but with Allea’s support, Neonidas was confident that the funds would arrive soon.

Neonidas had three separate action plans: pre-war, during the war, and post-war. First, he aimed to leverage the war as an excuse to extract numerous concessions and financial support from the Empire. In fact, he valued the concessions more than the budget he hoped to receive.

For instance, he had requested increased authority within the Empire’s bureaucracy under the guise of wartime necessity. This would allow him to control not only the army but also the logistical and strategic resources during the war.

It was clear that the Hindonpon Kingdom would be a more formidable adversary than anticipated. However, for Neonidas, this represented an opportunity to achieve his goals.

The second phase of his pre-war plans involved establishing a loyal power base within the Empire. Using the war as an excuse, he worked tirelessly to place individuals loyal to him among the newly recruited soldiers.

Loyalty could be bought as long as resources were directed to the right places. With the Empire wholly focused on the impending war, Neonidas could carry out these plans unnoticed.

During the war, Neonidas’s goal was to position himself as an indispensable leader. By taking charge of the war effort, he planned to frame the Empire’s victories as his personal achievements.

However, if things went awry, he was prepared to blame Hindonpon’s unexpected resistance or insufficient resources for any failures, exonerating himself. The greatest risk for Neonidas was an early defeat in the war. Even in that scenario, he had a contingency plan. Still, unless a miracle occurred, victory was almost certain.

As for his post-war plans, Neonidas’ ambitions were even grander. The fall of the Hindonpon Kingdom would not only bring him victory, but also grant him access to the kingdom’s riches.

More importantly, Neonidas intended to use the war as a lever to challenge the weakening authority of the Empire. He planned to use the power and prestige gained during the war to secure a higher position in the Empire’s internal affairs, possibly positioning himself as a future heir to the throne.

Filled with these thoughts, Neonidas entered his room and took a deep breath. As the door closed, he walked toward his bed and rubbed his eyes. He felt exhausted, likely because of the “enjoyable” games he had played with the Empress, he thought with a smirk.

As he began removing his unnecessary clothing, he suddenly noticed someone rushing toward him at high speed. In the blink of an eye, a sharp punch landed on his stomach. Neonidas’s eyes widened in shock as he attempted to activate his powers, but the voice he heard stopped him.

“You reckless fool! What did you think you were doing by sleeping with the Empress?!”

Clutching his aching stomach, Neonidas stood up and looked at Zalira’s furious face. He knew that she had probably used only a fraction of her strength to deliver that punch, but it still hurt—a lot.

“What are you talking about?” he asked.

Zalira took a threatening step closer. “Don’t you dare lie to me? I know you slept with the Empress! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!”

“I think the real question here is how you know about it… Are you stalking me?”

Zalira’s face briefly turned red, and she stammered, “I-I’m not!” Her cheeks flushed slightly as she averted her gaze. However, she quickly regained her composure and glared at Neonidas again. “Don’t try to change the subject, you idiot! You’re going to explain why you did this, or I’ll… I’ll make you regret it!”

Neonidas smirked at her threat. “Two consenting adults decided to be together. I didn’t realize we needed your permission.”

He walked toward the bed and began removing his shoes, but Zalira, fuming, ran up and grabbed his ear. “Neo, how can you still joke about this?! Don’t you know what the Emperor will do if he finds out? Are you trying to destroy our family?!”

Neonidas winced in pain and pulled back slightly to free his ear. “Alright, damn it! Calm down, Zalira! Everything is under control. There’s no way the Emperor will find out. The Empress knows how to keep secrets, and even if she doesn’t, she’d suffer the most.”

Zalira let go of his ear and sighed as she sat down. She still couldn’t believe what her brother had done—how could he have gone so far as to be with the Empress? What was he thinking? And what would happen to him if the worst came to pass? If things escalated, how could she protect her brother from the entire empire? These questions swirled in Zalira’s mind, leaving her feeling overwhelmed.

“I want you to tell me everything. Do you hear me? Everything!”

Neonidas stroked his reddening ear and nodded. He had previously told Zalira that his current self was a second personality created because of the burdens he had carried since childhood—a lie that seemed plausible. But now, he needed to alter his story.

Of course, he wouldn’t reveal that he was a foreign man reincarnated into her brother’s body after dying in another world. Instead, he planned to use the same lie he had told Allea and the Empress.

“Are you sure you want to hear everything? This will take a while,” Neonidas said cautiously.

Zalira nodded vehemently. “I want to know all your secrets.”

Neonidas adopted a serious expression, a trace of sadness flickering across his face. “First, I need you to promise me something. Swear that you won’t get angry and do something foolish because of the story I’m about to tell you…”

Zalira frowned, a spark of doubt igniting within her as she noticed the seriousness in her brother’s demeanor. Still, her curiosity about what he would reveal outweighed her hesitation.

“What foolish thing could I possibly do? I don’t want to harm you, but you still drive me insane, Neonidas. Fine, I swear. I won’t hurt you or your plans. Now, start talking!”

Neonidas, sensing her anger simmering just beneath the surface, took a deep breath. He lowered his voice and began, “First of all, I truly apologize for lying to you. But I did it to spare you from my burdens…”

And so, for the next half an hour, Neonidas shared almost everything with his sister. Zalira’s expressions shifted from shock to anger, then to sadness, and back to shock again and anger.

She listened intently to every word, and when she heard that Neonidas had seen his own death in the future and learned how it had happened, her eyes welled up with tears. By the time the story was over, she had a good idea why her brother had lied to her.

“That’s the whole story,” Neonidas concluded. “With the knowledge I’ve gained from the future, I’m trying to change what lies ahead. The Empress is actually an extraordinarily good person. When I saw her tragic and horrifying end, I wanted to help her. Or rather, we decided to help each other on this journey. Once again, I apologize for lying to you.”

Zalira took a deep breath and remained silent for a few moments. Neonidas saw both anger and bewilderment in her eyes. Finally, she clasped her hands in her lap and spoke.

“Neonidas… This is the most absurd and unbelievable story I’ve ever heard. But… I believe you.” Her voice trembled slightly. “Because you’ve… changed. You’re not the brother I’ve known since childhood. You’re… different. And if this change is because of what you’ve told me, then I can understand it.”

Neonidas was a little surprised. The outburst he had expected didn’t come. Even so, he chose his words carefully. “So, you’re not angry with me?”

Zalira furrowed her brow and slammed her hand on the table. “Of course, I’m angry! I’m furious that you kept something this important from me. I don’t care about your ridiculous relationship with the Empress anymore, but I don’t understand why you excluded me while playing such a risky game!”

Neonidas lowered his head with a faint smile. “I wanted to protect you. I had no right to put your life in danger.”

Zalira took a deep breath and locked eyes with him. “Don’t ever do that again. Whatever plans you have, whatever you’re doing, you will include me from now on. You’re not just responsible for yourself; you’re responsible for me too. We’re family.”

_____

Many readers have expressed their wish for Zalira to join the harem, but I’m not entirely sure about it. So, I’ve decided to let you decide

I’ve left two comments below:

If you want Zalira to join the harem, like the ‘Yes’ comment. If you don’t want her to join, like the ‘No’ comment.

The final decision will be based on your votes. Thank you in advance!