The Male Lead isn't Following the Script!
Chapter 221: Mastermind

Chapter 221: Mastermind

Stripped of his title as Crown Prince, he had been sent to the border to fight. There, he earned accolades and glory, slaying monsters and making a name for himself as a hero.

To the Imperial Concubine, this was no punishment at all. It was a platform, a stage for Cassian to rebuild his influence and power. As long as he was alive, he remained a threat—a looming shadow over her carefully laid plans.

Yet, she could do nothing for now. The Emperor, despite his firm stance on maintaining the family’s reputation, was keen on protecting Cassian.

His powers were too valuable to the Empire, his potential was too great to squander. For the time being, the Imperial Concubine could only wait, watching from the sidelines as Cassian carved a new path for himself.

Lucas was dead. The news spread in whispers, each retelling more hushed and cautious than the last. It was as though his death cast a dark shadow over the academy, one too dangerous to openly acknowledge.

They did not want to get on the bad side of the royal family. Cassian left the academy, Lucas was dead and now the third prince became the crown prince... Things have changed too fast, they needed to keep up with the times and not say the wrong thing.

Theresa was no fool. She understood the perilous dance of politics that surrounded the Imperial family, and she had no intention of getting caught in the chaos. Lucas’s death was a reminder of how ruthless the power struggles within the Empire could be. One wrong step, one misplaced word, and her head could be next on the chopping block.

She decided then and there that keeping a low profile was her only viable option. It wasn’t easy—Theresa had spent years meticulously crafting an image of ambition and competence. But in the face of such dangerous uncertainty, survival took precedence over her pride.

The hunt had been her opportunity to shine. She had poured every ounce of her skill and energy into it, determined to outperform Adeline and reclaim the prestige she had lost.

Theresa had always seen Adeline as an obstacle, a barrier standing between her and the recognition she deserved. But now, with the political landscape shifting so drastically, Theresa knew she couldn’t afford to make any rash moves.

She kept her head down, she needed to avoid attracting any attention.

As much as Theresa loathed to admit it, she couldn’t shake the frustration she felt when she saw Maia, the commoner girl, thriving in ways Theresa never could.

Maia was everything Theresa despised—a nobody who had somehow found her way into the graces of those who mattered. Watching Maia rise while she herself was forced to tread carefully felt like a personal insult.

Still, Theresa knew better than to act on her emotions. Her precarious position left no room for reckless decisions.

She had been associating herself with the dead prince for the past six months, she was being avoided by everyone. It did not help that with the confidence he gave her, she burnt too many bridges. She had no allies.

She was too arrogant and drove away those around her. She could only remain in the shadows for a while.

At first, Theresa had been elated. A prince’s attention was the kind of validation she had craved for years. It was a chance to elevate her standing, to secure a future she had long dreamed of.

His interest had now completely isolated her, Theresa was not the type to take responsibility... Or have accountability. She would simply toss the blame, the blame is now tossed onto the dead prince. He can’t complain now, can he?

Theresa was left to pick up the pieces of her shattered alliances, but it was too late. The damage had been done, and she was alone.

Theresa clenched her fists, the bitterness of her situation burning in her chest. She hated feeling powerless, hated that her ambitions had been thwarted by forces beyond her control. But no matter how much it infuriated her, she knew she had to bide her time.

Edward turned the cracked orb in his hand, its once radiant glow now dulled to an unremarkable grey. His stormy eyes, usually calm and calculating, flickered with contempt as he examined the damage. Fine fractures spread across its surface, leaking faint traces of what little power remained. It was useless now—another failure.

Hah, so useless.

His lips curled into a bitter smile. Lucas. The great second prince, supposedly ambitious and cunning, was reduced to nothing more than a shattered tool.

Edward had resurrected him for one purpose: to eliminate Cassian. And yet, not only had Lucas failed in this simple task, but he had also managed to get himself killed in the process.

"Pathetic," Edward muttered under his breath. His grip on the orb tightened, as though he could crush it further.

He had poured effort into Lucas’s second chance. Granted, it wasn’t entirely selfless—Edward rarely did anything without personal gain in mind.

Bringing Lucas back to life was a gamble, one he thought would pay off handsomely. After all, who would have more reason to take down Cassian than the brother he had always overshadowed?

But Lucas had proven himself to be even more incompetent than Edward had anticipated.

He even had to spend quite a bit of power to keep him hidden from that one person’s prying eyes. Heh, does she think that she can succeed? She would be incredibly wrong. He will prevail, there were setbacks but none of them would stop him.

Edward recalled the desperate pleading in Lucas’s eyes when he’d begged for more power. It was laughable.

Did Lucas not understand the magnitude of the gift he’d already been given? A second chance at life was no small thing. Edward had risked much to pull him back from the brink of death, bending the very laws of nature to give him another opportunity.

And what had Lucas done with it? Squandered it.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.