Chapter 188: The Seat That Wasn’t Mine
Chapter 188: The Seat That Wasn’t Mine
Elyn’s POV
"Um... what the fuck is Golemhold?"
The words had barely left my mouth when someone cleared their throat. It was a soft sound, something you would likely not hear if you weren’t paying attention, but it was a sound nonetheless.
I almost covered my head in shame. What would they think of me? I’m supposed to be their queen, but I have no idea what the Golemhold territory is. What kind of demons even live there?
But I didn’t even have the time to react or say anything when Zorathys spoke up.
He stood perfectly still beside me, hands loosely clasped behind his back, ruby eyes half-lidded as if he were only mildly inconvenienced by existence itself.
Then, very calmly, he asked,
"Who just cleared their throat?"
There was silence as he asked the question. No one dared to say anything, much less even breathe. It was like the air had been sucked out of the room.
The nobles froze.
Ignivar stared straight ahead, jaw set.
Caleth looked as though he had never possessed a throat in his entire life.
Seraphielle’s expression was serene, seductive, entirely innocent.
Draeven stood like a carved monument, scowl unmoved.
Zorathys slowly shifted his gaze across them.
"Who," he repeated softly, "just cleared their throat... and why?"
Still nothing.
Not a breath.
Not a twitch.
His shadows stretched faintly along the obsidian floor, long and thin like curious snakes tasting tension.
It was obvious from the way the nobles acted that they were scared of Zorathys. Not that I could blame them, though.
And the fact that he was doing absolutely nothing dramatic — no aura flare, no power surge, no raised voice — only made it worse.
I reached out and touched his arm.
The movement was small, but immediate.
His shadows recoiled slightly at the contact.
"Stop threatening the nobles," I murmured.
He turned his head toward me, slow and deliberate.
"I am not threatening them."
I gave him a blank look.
The kind that said: I live with you. Do not try it.
"I merely asked a question," he continued lazily. "Someone cleared their throat. I would like to know who. And why."
"You are threatening them," I said flatly.
His brow lifted faintly, as though genuinely puzzled by my accusation.
Then I turned to the nobles.
"Please," I said, my voice steady but gentle, "sit. Make yourselves comfortable. There is no need to be so tense."
No one moved.
Zorathys’ gaze shifted to them.
It was subtle.
Just a glance.
And every single one of them averted their eyes instantly.
I resisted the urge to sigh.
"This is a luncheon," I added. "You shouldn’t be too afraid of Zorathys."
That might have been a mistake.
Zorathys slowly looked at them again.
They collectively looked like they would rather jump into lava.
He sighed — long, dramatic, exhausted.
"Firefly just told you to do something," he said, voice cool and edged with irritation. "Why are you all pretending like she didn’t just speak?"
The nobles glanced at each other.
Then — as if a silent signal had passed between them — they visibly relaxed.
Shoulders lowered.
Expressions softened.
Ignivar’s jaw unclenched.
Caleth adjusted his stance.
Seraphielle’s smile widened, almost playful.
Draeven rolled his neck once, the movement heavy and stiff, as if releasing tension he had been holding in his spine.
I blinked.
That was all it took?
He threatened them. I reassured them. He ordered them to obey me. They complied.
This realm was confusing.
I leaned slightly toward him and lowered my voice.
"What exactly makes up Golemhold?"
He looked down at me.
"You are asking me that now?"
"Yes."
"During this?"
"Yes."
He stared at me for a long second, then exhaled.
"It is the stone demon territory."
My eyes widened slightly.
"Stone demons actually exist?"
He nodded once.
"Unfortunately."
I made a face.
"Unfortunately?"
"They are ugly," he said simply. "Most of them, at least. Rock for skin. Cracks everywhere. Some of them crumble when they age."
I stared at him.
"You’re judging an entire species on appearance?"
"Yes."
"That’s terrible."
"They are stone."
"And?"
"And they are ugly," he repeated, as if that settled the matter.
I suppressed a laugh.
He continued, almost grudgingly, "I do like some of them."
"Oh? So there are exceptions?"
"Yes. A few. Draeven is very, very, very, very, very— how many is that?" he asked me.
"Five."
"In your head, multiply it by a thousand. That’s how tolerable he is to me."
I chuckled at that. "That just shows you don’t like him."
"I tolerate Naviel and Ignivar more than him, but for a stone demon, he’s not bad," he told me.
I chuckled again. "Draeven is not ugly, though."
Zorathys gave me a look. "I don’t find the demon so tolerable anymore."
I elbowed him lightly, chuckling at that.
"We have to wait for the other demon nobles, though," I said to him, turning toward the door again.
"Firefly, no one else is coming."
I frowned. "There are seven dukedoms."
"Yes."
"Five are here," I counted quietly. "Fire. Water. Succubi. Stone and Fox demons."
"The Beast Demon territory doesn’t have a new Duke," he told me.
"Of course I know that. So that makes the number six," I told him.
"Yes," he nodded.
"So there is one more."
He looked at me for a while, then sighed.
"The last dukedom is not going to show up."
"Why?"
"You should not think about them."
"That is not an answer."
"It is the only one you are getting."
I narrowed my eyes slightly.
"Why aren’t they coming?"
He reached up suddenly and pinched the bridge of my nose.
"You are nosy, Firefly, and I’m not telling you why they are not coming."
I slapped his hand away.
"I am not nosy."
"You are."
"I am asking reasonable questions."
"You are asking questions that do not concern you yet."
"Yet?"
"You will receive the information later."
"When?"
"Later."
I stared at him.
He stared back.
He looked amused. There was something there he wasn’t telling me. And I wondered why.
Before I could press him further —
The world shifted.
It happened so fast that my thoughts didn’t even have time to catch up.
One second, I was standing beside Zorathys.
The next —
The room tilted.
The obsidian floor blurred.
Shadows moved.
And suddenly —
I was seated.
Not beside him.
Not in the seat that had been placed at his right, the one everyone had clearly intended for me.
I was seated at the head of the table.