I’m Really Not Trying to Be Chased by the Heroine as the Villainous Playboy! – Chapter 111

Chapter 108: Ominous Tremors

The city of Lionheart was no longer filled with its usual festivities.

The dragon turmoil was a wildfire that couldn’t be contained, especially since the Lionheart King had personally taken to the field.

The royal family conveniently wrapped it up as a grand expedition to deal with the remnants of the dragon clan.

Thus, even if there were slight disturbances, they remained within controllable bounds.

Under the bright lights of the royal capital, people gathered on the streets, in taverns, and in pubs, buzzing about this expedition.

“Aren’t the dragons all dead? Why are they popping up again?!”

“What does it matter?! If His Majesty can defeat them once, he can do it again!”

“Exactly! What a load of nonsense, the dragon clan is just a bunch of flying lizards!”

“Hahaha, don’t say that! Dragon teeth and eyes are valuable! If a war breaks out, those contraband will circulate freely—it’s a great opportunity to make some cash!”

Years ago, the honorable Lionheart King had defeated the dragons, leading the kingdom’s knights to dance on the dragon corpses. This time would be no different.

The king would bring them victory, and the citizens of Lionheart would dance on the carcasses of the great dragons, celebrating yet another grand triumph.

Just as it had been recorded in history.

Only a tiny fraction of people—the older generation who had witnessed the blood and fire decades ago, and those unfortunate enough to have encountered the Evil Dragon Society—huddled in dark corners, trembling like scared mice.

Queen Lyssa had once been one of them.

Always regal, elegant, and proud, she returned to her chambers after a day’s agenda, gazing at the shattered moon hanging in the night sky, letting out a deep sigh.

In public, she managed the royal capital with poise, soothing the nobles, but ever since learning of the dragons’ return, she hadn’t slept a wink.

Those who have never experienced it can never know what war truly means. Let alone the war against the ancient dragon clan.

As soon as she closed her eyes, she recalled the brutal images—the enormous monsters ruthlessly slaughtering the populace like ants and the once-prosperous capital reduced to ashes overnight beneath dragon flames.

Neither commoners nor nobles could escape; despair descended equally upon everyone.

History had adorned that battle with honor and glory, but to Lyssa, it was a complete disaster.

They hadn’t truly defeated anything.

They had merely survived by sheer luck.

Now, thinking of her own children facing such a calamity again darkened Lyssa’s expression further.

Fortunately, Charlotte would return to her territory, a remote area where her safety could be assured even in the worst of times.

But poor little Leo would suffer.

Lyssa understood that Robert intended to pass the throne to him, which is why he had been strict with him.

Staying in the royal capital was to let the most trusted Leo hold the fort, ready to ignite the kingdom’s last embers if things went south.

Lyssa could only pray things wouldn’t come to that.

Just as she lay in bed, gradually drifting off, she heard faint screams from outside.

It reminded her of her childhood when screams heralded the descent of a giant dragon that crushed everything she cherished in an instant.

The Lionheart Queen rose, pale, and discovered a bloodied griffin had fallen into the courtyard.

At least it wasn’t a dragon.

It was then that Lyssa regained the courage befitting a queen.

She didn’t even bother to change clothes and rushed to the courtyard with her guards, only to be shocked to find the fallen knight was her daughter’s personal maid.

Her heart almost leaped out of her chest as horrific images flashed through her mind.

However, the news Lyssa bore was far worse than she had imagined.

So unbearable that no mother could withstand it.

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“The King has arrived!”

“We’re saved!”

“Long live His Majesty! Long live the kingdom!”

Most of Veszyra’s army consisted of ordinary folks; only a monarch could have a well-organized force of extraordinary beings.

And the Griffin Knights led by Robert were the sharpest sword of the kingdom.

The Lionheart King and his reinforcements ignited a flame of hope for the soldiers huddled in the crumbling castle.

But when Robert stood in a corner of the broken fortress, looking out at the town ablaze in the distance, his once-majestic demeanor was suddenly overshadowed by a heavy solemnity.

This surprised Carl, who stood beside him.

Robert was the bravest person Carl had ever seen. Even facing dire straits, he could laugh heartily and lead the knights in bold charges, turning one despair into another.

Even in that brutal final battle, Robert had never wavered.

“Are you ever nervous?” Carl teased.

“Hmph, what do you know? I was fearless in my youth, but now I’m king; I have to worry about the lives of these little punks,” Robert huffed, glaring at Carl while rubbing his unkempt beard.

“Unlike you, a lazy bum who refuses to accept the title of duke! Just hanging onto your little patch of land!”

After a moment of silence, the Lionheart King sighed heavily, “If we were only facing pureblood dragons, that would be fine, but what if there are remnants of the Seven Great Dragons…”

Watching the dragons ravage the night sky in the distance, even Carl fell into a heavy silence.

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This room was even shabbier than Roy had imagined.

The place was extremely cramped, with a small wooden bed in the middle, a few cabinets beside it, and several holes in the window letting in the wind.

Forget bathing and changing; just having a place to shield from the wind and rain was already a blessing.

Roy and Charlotte had both received military training at home, so they could endure the environment.

But when Mina brought out dinner, both of them couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“What is this… pork chop?” Charlotte jabbed at the crimson, irregular chunks of meat on her plate with a fork, utterly shocked.

“This looks completely raw!” Charlotte exclaimed angrily.

They could endure the lodging, but not this awful food!

Roasting mushrooms in the wild was better than this junk!

Roy’s expression also darkened as he looked at the disgusting meat on the plate.

“Ah, it’s just medium-rare!” Mina chuckled.

“Since when do pork chops come medium-rare?!” Charlotte shot back.

“Come on, we’ll eat this; you can head out now,” Roy waved his hand.

“If you need anything, just let me know,” Mina said before leaving.

After she was gone, Charlotte glared at the odd-looking meat, her throat moving as if she was in a mental struggle.

Then Roy suddenly tossed the two pieces of meat out the window.

The Golden-Winged Griffin happily trotted over to sniff the falling meat, but immediately turned away in disgust.

“This place is a problem…” Roy had barely finished his sentence when a thunderous roar erupted in the distance.

The cramped little shack trembled violently.

The ground shook as if some terrifying existence was letting out a soft snore, making the whole world tremble in fear.