Obsessed with a High-Ranking Esper (BL)-Chapter 323: Coronation
An: So sorry for the delay, I had a tough day. Happy reading!!
The Divine Council stood in reverent silence as Jian Rui reached the center. There, he made his oath. Not to the council, not to the throne, but to the people of Virelia. His voice carried across the shrine, solemn and resolute, binding him to the empire’s fate.
In that moment, Jian Rui felt the weight of years lift from his shoulders. He could protect them all—his mother, his brothers, his lover, his in-laws, and every soul who looked to him for guidance.
He removed the blindfold, his gaze sweeping across the gathered assembly. His eyes found his brothers, and for the first time in years, he allowed himself to breathe freely. The burden he had carried with his family now had the full support of the empire.
The divine had appointed him, but it was love and loyalty that gave him strength.
And so, beneath the sky that had once been torn apart by war, Jian Rui rose as Imperial Lord of Virelia, his heart steady, his resolve unshakable.
The public received him well. For years, Jian Rui had been the gentle prince far different from other imperial family members. He was a philanthropist who funded orphanages, a patron of scholars, a prince who walked among the markets without guards and listened to the grievances of the people. Unlike his siblings, he had never wielded his lineage as a weapon. If anyone had asked which heir would one day rebel against Imperial Lord Thaurion, Jian Rui’s name wouldn’t be on the list. And yet, here he was, crowned in peace, the transition so seamless that even the Divine Council, who had braced for chaos, sat in stunned silence.
No rival prince or princess rose to challenge him. The ceremony unfolded like a well-rehearsed symphony, unmarred by discord.
As the final blessing echoed through the hollow sun, the people bowed, their faces alight with relief. For once, the empire’s future seemed steady.
Hours later, as the celebrations spilled into the streets, the screens across Virelia flickered with breaking news: Railem, the first prince, was dead. Kidnapped by two Calamity Alliance pirates, slain before rescue could arrive. The announcement sent a ripple through the crowd, not of grief, but of grim satisfaction. Railem had been despised, his cruelty legendary, his name synonymous with corruption. Few mourned him.
In retaliation, Eros unleashed the empire’s fury. His fleet descended upon the pirates’ warships, obliterating them in a storm of fire and steel. Two of Virelia’s greatest enemies were erased in a single night. The timing was uncanny, almost too convenient, yet the people did not question it. They had hated Railem too deeply to care. Over the years, he had committed countless misdeeds, scandals piling one after another. Yet there had never been consequences. The public grew dissatisfied, their resentment simmering. So when his death came, it was not met with sorrow.
The fall of the Calamity Alliance pleased the people even more. These criminals had hijacked civilian transport ships, slaughtered innocents, and terrorized the empire for years. To see them finally held accountable was a relief, a justice long overdue.
Railem’s death caused no commotion among the regular citizens. But within the imperial family’s confinement, terror spread like wildfire. They had believed the fight between Railem and Jian Rui would drag on, perhaps even tilt in Railem’s favor. Instead, it had ended in less than a day. Railem’s death shattered their hopes of them regaining the upper hand.
Now, only one option remained: to pledge the mandated blood oath and accept Jian Rui as the new Imperial Lord.
Desperate, they contacted Seraphyne, asking if the offer was still on the table.
Seraphyne was in no hurry. Her reply was cold and measured. "I will think about it."
And so she kept them waiting. A week passed, the imperial family trapped in limbo. They could not leave their palaces. They could not choose their meals. They could not decide who visited them. For those who had been spoiled all their lives, it was torture.
Eventually, Seraphyne summoned them to the Divine Hall. One by one, they stepped forward, cutting their palms, blood dripping onto the altar. Each oath bound them irrevocably to Jian Rui. It was like signing away half their lives.
Jian Rui sat upon the throne, his posture unyielding, his gaze cold. Beside him stood his brothers like silent pillars of support. Before them, the remnants of the imperial family shifted uneasily, their faces disgruntled, their pride wounded. But Jian Rui did not care. Freedom came at a cost, and they would learn it.
Soon after, each of them was forced onto StarNet to announce their loyalty to the one true Imperial Lord of the Republic of Virelia. The empire watched as their words spilled across the screens.
Some citizens whispered that it looked like it was done under duress, while others expressed relief hoping that at last, these spoiled nobles would be leashed, preventing them from terrorizing innocents as they had under the previous regime.
With the imperial family’s public support secured, Jian Rui made his move.
The public trial of Thaurion began. Only the Divine Council was permitted within the hall, but the trial was livestreamed for all to see. The man who had once been so prestigious now looked pathetic. His head hung low, his hair curtaining his face. No visible injuries marred him, but his sluggish movements showed that he had suffered. A suppression ring clamped around his neck, heavy chains weighed down his body, dragging him into humiliation.
Jian Rui presided over the trial, his voice steady, his authority absolute. The Divine Council members rose one by one, reciting the celestial laws Thaurion had broken: his failure to protect his people, his corruption, his cruelty, and the unforgivable sin of using his citizens as lab experiments.
Thaurion glared at Jian Rui, who sat upon the throne with unshakable composure. His gaze was piercing, sharp enough to cut through steel. If eyes could kill, Jian Rui would have been torn into a thousand pieces. He longed to curse, to spit venom at the new Imperial Lord, but his voice was restrained by the suppression ring. No words came out, only silence and fury.
The chains weighed heavily on him, dragging his body down, making even the smallest movement a struggle.
