Dragon King's Harem Chapter 454. Cursed Rune

Dragon King's Harem Chapter 454. Cursed Rune

He flexed his fingers.

My eyes snapped to his hand.

I knew that motion.

He was about to trigger it.

That cursed rune hidden in Kaelen's chest.

‘Dispel.’

I didn’t even blink. Mana flared from my hand—fast, sharp, and invisible to most except a few seated mages. It pulsed through the altar like a soft clap of thunder underwater. A ripple of nullification spread out.

He froze mid-motion.

Too slow, Cedric.

I could feel the spell unraveling in his palm—the trigger command disarmed before it reached his mana circuit. The rune connection cut. Like yanking the plug on a bomb.

He looked at me. Really looked.

And that’s when it hit him.

I knew.

I knew about Kaelen.

“Don’t even think about it,” I said flatly, loud enough for everyone in the hall to hear. “If you’re planning to detonate the exploding rune you embedded in Prince Kaelen’s body, don’t bother.”

A fresh wave of horror swept across the assembly. Nobles and envoys alike straightened. A few whispered. The Faewyn envoy covered her mouth.

“Kaelen is with my soldiers now,” I continued. “Safe. Watched. And protected by a rune disruptor crystal made by the best artificer in the Dragon Tribe.”

Cedric’s face twitched. His eyes darted to the queen, then to me.

“There is no proof of such a claim,” he snapped. “No evidence. Nothing but your word, Dragon King. And what I do see—” he jabbed a finger at me, “—is you manipulating my wife. Interfering in sovereign Snow Elf matters.”

“Your soon-to-be wife,” I corrected. “Except not anymore. Because fun fact, Cedric, wedding rituals in the Snow Elf tribe require uninterrupted magical threading and a final vow. You were halfway through a binding spell and still hadn’t kissed the bride.”

More murmurs. I heard a cough from someone trying to cover a laugh.

Maria stayed quiet—but she nodded once, visibly.

I kept my voice casual. “Which means, legally? You’re just a guy in a very expensive coat standing next to a queen who just dumped you in front of two kings and half a continent.”

Cedric’s left eye twitched.

Delegates began talking over each other.

“The Dragon King’s behavior is outrageous!”

“Is this a coup?”

“He’s interfering with elven customs!”

“We need verification—where is the prince?”

“Are you saying the Snow Elf Queen was coerced?!”

“I knew it! There’s always drama at these things.”

Callum, meanwhile, had still not moved. Just sitting there, one leg crossed over the other, sipping some sort of dark fruit wine like this was the best opera he’d ever seen.

His expression didn’t shift.

But he looked at me now.

And I could hear his thoughts through his eyes alone.

‘Go on, Argod. Let’s see how deep this hole goes.’

Maria finally raised her hand, her voice soft but commanding.

“This isn’t an attack on the Snow Elf tribe,” she said clearly. “Nor on this palace. This is an intervention. A truth made visible.”

Cedric turned on her so fast I nearly summoned my sword.

“You’re confused,” he hissed. “This—this is what he does! That damned dragon—he’s confused you. He’s spun lies, twisted your perception.”

Maria stared at him.

And then, calmly, “The only thing twisted, Cedric, was your attempt to control my son and this tribe.”

Cedric clenched his fists again. I could see the fury bubbling now, the cracks in his composure widening with every passing second.

“You have no idea what you’re doing,” he growled.

I stepped forward. Just slightly. Enough to make him take a very small but very noticeable step back.

“I think she knows exactly what she’s doing,” I said. “And in case you’re still trying to bluff your way out of this, your private guards have been… removed.”

Cedric turned pale. His breathing quickened.

“I…” he tried. “I demand proof.”

“Sure,” I said with a shrug. “Let’s bring in the rune seer. Have her scan Kaelen’s chest. Oh wait. She already did. But, you want more proof? How about we take a stroll through the guest hall? I’m sure the elf soldiers you handpicked will be happy to vouch for you… assuming they’re still breathing.”

The room hit that special kind of quiet again. The one where everyone starts to really consider their diplomatic immunity clauses.

A snow elf noble stood and said nervously, “Your Majesty—shouldn’t this be resolved in a council chamber? Not here?”

I gave him a long look. “If someone was about to blow up your heir during his mother’s wedding ceremony, would you wait for a scheduled meeting?”

He sat back down.

Callum finally smiled.

“You know,” he said lazily, “for once, I don’t mind being blindsided. This is far more entertaining than I expected.”

Maria leaned into me just slightly. “You really didn’t wait until after the ceremony?.”

I smirked. “You were about to marry an explosion trigger, Maria. I feel like timing was already a little tight.”

She actually chuckled.

Soft, barely audible. But it was there. Real.

And that—yeah, that was enough for me to know I’d done the right thing.

Cedric, meanwhile, had gone stiff.

His hands dropped to his sides.

Eyes dark. Too dark.

The kind of quiet fury that didn’t burn—it festered.

I saw it in the way his fingers curled slightly, the way his shoulders squared like he was preparing to do something stupid. Not political-stupid. Not diplomatic-stupid.

Violent stupid.

“Enough,” he muttered.

It was quiet.

But his mana said everything louder than words ever could.

I felt it before I saw it.

That shift in the air. That hairline crack in the palace's ambient magic. Like someone had just flicked a switch beneath our feet.

Then—click.

[Warning!]

[Security Rune: Palace Guardian Protocol - Engaged]

A rush of wind exploded outward from beneath the altar—his trigger, not mine. Hidden security glyphs, buried in the ceremonial stones themselves, lit up in a fiery snowflake pattern, laced with blood magic and old binding spells. The entire platform surged with mana, a circle of pale violet light blazing outward like a sunburst.

He’d armed it.

“Damn it,” I snapped.