'Why does he want me to cuck him?—HUH?' Even though I instinctively uttered those thoughts, the name he said and then his eyes started to slowly ring a bell in my mind, which, instead of simply subsiding, made me recall that his face was similar to that illegitimate prince of Duke Arctutus from that web novel.
'No, I should not mix reality with fiction,' I tried to calm my mind, not letting useless thoughts cross it, as it was indeed possible that this was just a coincidence.
"Are you even listening, Leon?! I asked if you are finally prepared or not, commoner bastard!" The metal grills of the room cell swung open as that doppelganger entered the cell with clear arrogance etched on his face.
"Prince Kyle, being kept underground for all these years, he must have believed he was indeed a rat. Forgive him," another one with a white beard brushed it with his hand, and those eyes looked towards me as he stated those words with a laugh that sounded more like it came from those old bootlegging ministers of a kingdom.
'Kyle? Wait, it has to be a dream!?' I was really a little skeptical, considering I tried to deny this fiction which was now reality, but soon enough realized that I was indeed inside the same web novel which I thought earlier was just my brain's illusion.
Not only was I inside the story, but the realization of my name being Leon hit me like a thunderclap.
The name echoed in my mind, dredging up memories of a web novel I'd followed all year long—one which got dropped by the author 10 days ago, just before my death.
But now, as the pieces started to fall into place, it appeared more like large rock pieces of a mountain falling on my puny body.
Leon was the name of an extra, a disposable character raised from childhood after being adopted from an orphanage due to appearing similar to the prince, and was finally chosen to replace the illegitimate ducal prince in a political marriage.
To sum up this world, The Azure Flame Kingdom was one of the four great kingdoms in the Celestial Dragon Continent, each ruled by powerful cultivation clans within them.
"A-are we in the north?" I couldn't help but inquire to confirm the exact timing and date from where my life was going to end once again.
"Huh? Don't you remember the details I gave you?! Useless!" One of the cloaked figures yelled before moving towards a drawer where I saw him take out a booklet, opening the pages before narrowing his eyes and adding, "You have written your analysis all over the pages. How did you forget that we are indeed in the north and about to leave in an hour?!"
'Phew.' Of course, I was not relieved in the least, but still, the timing presently told me that I was in the Northern Territory right now.
So exactly, Kyle—the illegitimate son of Duke Arctutus—had been exiled to the northern territories as a child due to the planning of his stepmother. But as per date, after Aleriana Vandreat, the princess with a weak family background, saw an opportunity to eliminate him and take control of the north, she requested the king to get married to him.
He was going to visit the capital city for marriage procedures before finally bringing his bride back to the north.
Of course, he knew what the princess was exactly aiming for, and between his life and the north, he chose to surrender the north with the life of someone looking like him. So, the northern territories, which Aleriana coveted, were rich in spiritual energy and rare resources, making them a prize worth killing for.
And that princess—Aleriana Vandreat—was no ordinary bride. She was a schemer, a viper in silk, who planned to use the marriage as a stepping stone to seize control of the northern territories of the Azure Flame Kingdom.
My eyes darted to the man in front of me—the doppelganger who looked exactly like me but with those eerie gold-and-crimson eyes.
No, I was more like a doppelganger here; I was Leon, the replacement, the sacrificial lamb.
'This is bad. This is really bad,' I thought, my mind racing. In the novel, Leon had no idea what he was walking into since he had been brainwashed since childhood and always considered the prince as his God, showing utmost loyalty.
He'd agreed to the marriage, only to be poisoned on his wedding night.
Aleriana had then used his death as a pretext to claim the northern territories as his last wish, consolidating her power and eliminating anyone who stood in her way to fulfill the major flaw she had, which was having a very weak family background, to become a potential candidate for the throne.
"Tch, I told you to bring him outside for a walk!" Kyle yelled, while the old man was most probably the one who taught Leon most of the things as he rubbed his head as if weighing the pros and cons of killing me here before putting up a fake forced smile on his face and looking towards me.
"Tell us, Leon," Kyle said, his voice cold and commanding. "Have you decided to marry Princess Aleriana Vandreat in my stead? My loyal subject?"
I stared at him, my mind scrambling for a way out.
If I refused, they'd probably kill me on the spot.
If I agreed, I'd be walking straight into a death trap.
But there was one thing I remembered from the novel—something that might make things more difficult if I were to die just now.
In a few hours, Kyle was supposed to awaken a system—the Invincible Domain System—a power that would grant him invincible strength.
Not that it mattered to me, but the issue was if I somehow were to become a double agent or just inform the princess about Kyle possessing such a system, then maybe I can survive death at her hand.
But first, it was confusing why I was here in this situation, but I needed to live so that I could think about why I was here, and to live for now, I decided to just follow the flow.
"I... need time to think," I said, my voice shaky but firm. "This is a life-altering decision. Surely, you can grant me a few hours to consider?"
The old man beside the prince narrowed his eyes, his wrinkled face twisting into a frown. "Time? You dare ask for time? The princess's proposal is an honor, boy. You should be groveling at our feet in gratitude."
I clenched my fists, the chains around my wrists rattling. "With all due respect, Elder, marriage is not something to be taken lightly. Especially to someone of Princess Aleriana's... stature."
The prince smirked, his gold-and-crimson eyes glinting with amusement. "He has a point, Elder. Let him have his few hours. It's not as if he can escape."
He turned to me, his smirk widening. "But remember, Leon, the clock is ticking. If you refuse, I will kill your sole family."
"I-I understand, Prince. Is it possible for you to now open my chains so that I can move?" He threatened me with something I wasn't even aware of existing, but the urgency of the situation and now confirmation that it was indeed that same web novel I knew very well why I was chained here made me ask them to free me.
'Who even poisons someone's dick!!' It was not that I wanted to accept it, but the reason I was tied here was that these bastards in the original story had, before the marriage, added secret poison to Leon's dick so when he copulated with the princess, she would die.
The poison was Yin dispersion or something similar, making it only effective on Yin—women.
'So, after these bastards leave, I need to wash my dick!'
:: Eww?! Filthy human, don't even think of doing it! ::
'Shut up, I will do whatever I want.'
"All four of you, just open it fast and follow," ordering the other four cloaked figures, the old man turned, with the prince also turning to leave the cell as the other four moved to just open the chains and leave the cell.
The tension in the room was palpable as I observed them arriving with keys to open the cuffs, and as their bodies made contact with my skin, something inexplicable happened.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
The four cloaked figures, who had been standing like statues just moments ago, collapsed to the ground in unison.
Their bodies hit the floor with a sickening thud, lifeless and unmoving.
"HUH?"
The prince, Kyle, and the old man stared at the scene in stunned disbelief.
Their eyes widened, and their faces paled as they took in the sight of the four demonic cultivators—known for their mastery over soul ghost exorcism—lying dead on the ground.
'N-no, is this really the time to act, guys?!' My head slowly turned toward both of those people who might think these four guys were acting real as I tried to clarify, "M-maybe they are just trying to play a game of who sleeps faster; them or nobit—"
"Y-you bastard!"