Reincarnate as the Villainess's Husband - Chapter 84

Chapter 84: Pre-war
Neonidas hesitated at Velriona’s touch. The woman’s voice was now more sincere; though her words trembled slightly, the honesty beneath them was undeniable. Slowly, he turned to her, his eyes locking onto hers. Velriona’s expression carried both hesitation and resolve. Neonidas realized that she didn’t want to display vulnerability, yet she couldn’t suppress the intensity of her emotions.

As Neonidas once again noticed the conflict in her eyes and the depth of her feelings, he felt that no words could fully capture the meaning of this moment. Without hesitation, he stepped forward, closing the distance between them, and wrapped her in his arms. Velriona flinched slightly at first but then gradually surrendered.

Neonidas lowered his head, pressing his lips gently against hers. The kiss didn’t begin with an explosion of passion; instead, it was laden with intimacy and depth, as if time had stopped. It wasn’t merely an expression of their emotions, but a representation of the bond they shared. As Velriona’s heart raced, her lips met the warmth of his.

As the kiss deepened, all of Velriona’s doubts, thoughts, and anxieties momentarily faded away. For that brief instant, the forbidden nature of their situation—the rules and obstacles surrounding them—seemed irrelevant. Neonidas pulled her slightly closer before letting his lips part from hers, but his gaze remained fixed on her.

“The only thing that matters to me is your happiness and peace. So don’t worry, I’ll never put you in a position you don’t want to be in. Because I love you with all my heart,”

said Neonidas, releasing Velriona. “Now, I’d better go.”

Velriona hesitated for a moment at his words. Watching him prepare to leave reignited that familiar turmoil inside her. But this time, she was strong enough not to succumb to those emotions. Taking a deep breath, she straightened her shoulders and took a step after him.

“Wait, Neonidas,” she said, her voice firm yet gentle. When the young man turned to look at her, a different light shone in Velriona’s eyes. “I know you care for me, but this isn’t a way out. If you want me to be strong, then I won’t let you leave me like this.”

Neonidas furrowed his brows slightly at her determination. “Velriona, I’m trying to protect you in this relationship. I don’t want you to feel any more pressure.”

“Pressure?” Velriona pursed her lips into a smile—a smile that held both admiration and frustration. “Neonidas, the pressure you speak of comes from the weight of an empire I’ve carried on my shoulders for years. But you… you’re the only space where I can breathe. If you truly want me to let this go, then you’d also be taking away the reason I keep fighting.”

Neonidas fell silent, weighing the determination and emotional depth in her words. Each word reflected the strength and love within her. After a few moments of silence, Neonidas sighed and spoke again.

“I don’t understand, Velriona. Are you asking me to step back or to stand up for you?”

Velriona hesitated before answering, closing her eyes briefly. Then, with a steady voice, she replied, “Both. I know this will sound complicated, but for this relationship not to destroy us, you’ll need to do both. You know that with one mistake, the emperor would kill us both.”

“Fine. You’ll get what you want. When the time comes, and when I’m strong enough, I’ll kill the emperor myself anyway. Until then, we’ll live more peacefully together.”

Velriona said nothing. Deep down, she wanted to side with her husband, but it was no longer possible. She no longer felt loyalty toward the man who would eventually cause her daughter’s death and her own disgrace.

“I must leave now. I’ll be gone for a long time. All I ask of you is this: don’t harm Avelina or anyone around her. If you do, it could strengthen that woman even more.”

Velriona nodded. “Alright.”

With that, Neonidas opened the door and left the room, leaving Velriona alone in the darkness and emptiness. She was used to such loneliness and dark rooms throughout her life in the palace, but perhaps for the first time, she felt truly unsettled by it. So, she followed after Neonidas out of the room.

Later, she returned to her own chambers and immediately lay down, ready to sleep. But just as she did, she noticed something covered next to her bed. As she wondered what might be beneath the cover, she prepared herself for the possibility of a trap, summoning her powers.

When she pulled the cover aside, all she saw was a small cage holding a cockatiel, its feathers glistening faintly in the dim light. As she tried to figure out who might have placed this bird there, she found a note on top of the cage. Velriona picked it up and read it.

“Dear Velriona,

I chose this bird especially for you. Just like you, it is beautiful, sweet, and noble . I hope it keeps you company in my absence, filling your silent nights with its songs… With each chirp, remember that I am thinking of you.”

After reading the short note, Velriona gently removed the bird from the cage and held it in her hands.

As she cradled the bird carefully in her palms, she felt its tiny wings flutter lightly. After a moment of surprise, the bird calmed down, resting its head against her fingers. Velriona felt a warmth and peace spreading through her heart—something she hadn’t felt in a long time. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that the note was from Neonidas. This thoughtful gesture stirred her emotions once again.

The deep silence of the room was soon filled with the bird’s soft chirping as Velriona gently stroked its delicate feathers and looked at the small creature with a sincere smile.

Quietly, her voice low but laden with emotion, she murmured to herself, “You’re so complicated. You’re source of chaos and peace. But even with something this simple, you can make me happy. Thank you… Neonidas.”

——–

Neonidas departed from the capital early the next day and teleported to a city where the army was expected to arrive within a few days. A long journey lay ahead of him. Transporting an army of one hundred thousand to the borders of the Hindonpon Kingdom would take months.

Fortunately, with Princess Allea’s exceptional leadership and flawless management of the army’s logistics, they encountered no issues and reached the borders of the Hindonpon Kingdom approximately two to three months later. At that point, Neonidas took command and led the army into Hindonpon territory.

Around the same time, the Hindonpon Kingdom’s army mobilized upon hearing that enemy forces had penetrated deep into their lands. Yet, just as this news broke, Neonidas seemingly changed his strategy—or worse, appeared to have been stricken with fear—and began retreating from his forces.

Thankfully, Allea understood Neonidas’s plan and did not object, instead approving it. After weeks of pursuit, the Hindonpon army finally caught up to the imperial forces. Positioned between the Hindonpon Kingdom’s interior regions and its coastal areas, the Hindonpon army arrived to find that the imperial forces had already set up camp and were not retreating further.

“Hehehe, where else could they run to, anyway?”

These were the words of General Velmar, the commander of the Hindonpon Kingdom’s army.

Sitting confidently atop his horse, General Velmar smiled with the assurance of victory. As he observed the camp set up by the imperial army, an amused smirk played on his lips. “Is this Neonidas’ grand strategy?” he muttered to himself. “To flee and end up cornered… How utterly disappointing.”

One of the officers beside him, emboldened by the general’s demeanor, added, “Sir, there’s no way they think they can win with such a simple tactic. The army must be utterly exhausted by now. A single strike should be enough to crush them.”

Velmar nodded, his sharp eyes scanning the enemy camp. “Don’t underestimate our opponent. While these look like an opportunity, we must still remain cautious.”

The Hindonpon army set up their own camp about a kilometer away from the imperial forces. As the soldiers slowly settled in, Velmar called several of his commanders into his tent. Inside, a map was spread out on the table, with the imperial army’s encampment carefully marked.

“Our plan is simple,” Velmar began, pointing to the enemy’s location on the map. “It is impossible for them to defeat us in open battle. Therefore, to glorify our kingdom’s honor and humiliate the empire, we will defeat them in a fair and honest fight. No night raids, no traps. I want a decisive victory to show those arrogant imperial nobles our strength!”

These words stirred excitement among the leading figures of the Hindonpon Kingdom, their smiles broadening with confidence. This victory seemed inevitable. Unless the gods themselves descended from the heavens to intervene, they would crush the imperial army with their Konotger beasts.

When General Velmar remembered that Princess Allea was among the enemy forces, his lips twisted into a disgusting grin, and he began to salivate. The thought of tasting the most beautiful of the empire’s “Six Beauties” thrilled him more than anything else. He had spent nearly his entire fortune to acquire a top-tier Mana-suppressing artifact solely to subdue Allea’s powers.