The Abandoned Luna's Journey to Power Chapter 371: A Waltz Called Power

Prince Adam's POV:

What did they see?

They saw me, the former first in line to the throne, willingly giving up control of the army just to marry Cindy, a duchess with a complicated background and a previous marriage.

In the werewolf world where strength ruled above all else, losing control of the military meant losing the sharpest fangs in the fight for the throne.

More importantly, they saw King Ryken's attitude.

King Ryken had gone along with it and taken back my command. Aside from granting Cindy those flashy titles and material rewards, he hadn't given us any real political power in return.

His stance was far too ambiguous—so ambiguous that everyone began to wonder if His Majesty had already given up on me and was preparing to support Prince Noah as the new heir.

That uncertainty cast a heavy shadow over the future of the succession.

And because of that, these opportunists started placing their bets.

In their eyes, I had become a useless piece, someone who chose love over power. So, they rushed to latch onto Noah, who was rising like a new force.

"Your Highness..." Julian stood behind me, watching those sycophantic nobles, grinding his teeth in anger. "A bunch of spineless opportunists. When you held military power, they practically knelt down to lick your boots. Now that you just handed it over for the greater good, they turn their backs on you. This is too much."

"Let them," I said calmly.

I swirled the wine in my glass, a cold, mocking smile tugging at my lips. "This is actually a good thing. If I hadn't given up military control, how would I have exposed all the snakes hiding in the shadows? If I can't even handle a test like this, how could I ever clean up the rot in this court?"

I turned to look at Cindy beside me.

She wasn't wearing a soft, delicate evening gown. Instead, she wore a sharply tailored silver and black military-style formal outfit. The Goldfang Medal on her chest gleamed under the lights.

She felt my gaze and turned to me. There was no panic or disappointment in her silver-gray eyes.

"What are you looking at?" she asked softly, reaching back to hold my hand, our fingers interlocking.

"I'm looking at my princess," I said, leaning close to her ear. "Watching those people crowd around Noah... do you regret it? If you hadn't chosen me, maybe you'd still be a carefree duchess, not stuck dealing with all this political coldness and scheming with me."

Cindy let out a soft scoff.

She turned her head, her gaze sweeping coldly across the nobles bowing and flattering Noah. Then her eyes landed on Margaret and Uncle Niall, who stood not far away, holding their wine glasses and watching us with undisguised amusement.

"Adam, are you underestimating me?" she said.

Her hand tightened slightly around mine.

Her voice was quiet, but it carried a sharp certainty that cut through all the pretense in the room.

"I have never cared about their ridiculous alliances. They think giving up military power means losing our claws? They think King Ryken's ambiguity means this is the end for us?"

A bloodthirsty smile curved at the corner of Cindy's lips, the same expression Diana wore right before a hunt.

"They have no idea that the real threat isn't sitting on the throne. It's out there, in the Bloodridge Mountains covered in toxic mists. Since Niall wants to play the fool while building his forces in secret, let him. Right now, all we need to do is play along in this glittering ballroom and finish this performance with them. When the truth finally comes out..."

Cindy turned to me, her eyes flashing with the same madness and understanding that mirrored my own.

"We'll tear out their throats ourselves, along with these rotten rules of the royal court."

I looked at her, and the heart that had grown weary from all the political maneuvering suddenly began to pound again.

As expected of my partner.

Not a fragile flower sheltered in comfort, but a warrior who could stand beside me at the edge of the abyss and raise a blade against death itself.

I tilted my head back and drained the wine in my glass.

"Alright." I wrapped an arm tightly around her waist and pulled her toward the center of the dance floor. "Then tonight, we'll play along with these clowns and finish this waltz called power."