Abyssborn: The Rise of the Cursed Monarch

Kael, still sitting on his sister's uncomfortable bed, let out a deep sigh. His gaze drifted to the sword hanging on the wall before absentmindedly shifting toward the window, searching for a mental escape from his situation.

And that's when he saw her.

In the manor's garden, under the golden rays of the setting sun, a young woman of unparalleled beauty gracefully strolled between the rose bushes. Her long, silky hair flowed in the wind, and her elegant demeanor betrayed a natural nobility. Kael felt his heart skip a beat.

"By all the gods… who is this character straight out of a romantic manhwa?!"

His instinct as a man immediately took over.

Without thinking, he leaped off the bed, opened the window, and slipped outside with the agility of a fleeing thief. A red rose caught his eye. He carefully plucked it before confidently approaching the young woman.

Kael flashed his most charming smile, twirling the rose between his fingers before offering it to her.

"My lady, allow me to present this humble rose to a beauty that far surpasses the entire garden itself."

She raised an eyebrow, surprised by his sudden approach, but did not respond immediately. Determined to play the role of a charming prince until the end, Kael gently took her hand and placed a light kiss upon it.

"Your gaze reminds me of the glow of the stars, and your presence eclipses even the light of day… May I have the honor of knowing the name of the muse who has captured my heart in an instant?"

The young woman looked at him with an unreadable expression. There was a brief silence. Then, unexpectedly, she curved her lips into a small amused smile.

"You are quite bold, young master Kael."

Kael's eyes widened.

"She knows my name?! Oh… Could she be a noble from the Draven family? A distant cousin? Never mind, she smiled—that's a good sign!"

He doubled down on his efforts.

"Bold? No, merely sincere. If it is a crime to compliment a goddess, then I am ready to be judged guilty."

The young woman let out a light chuckle, averting her gaze. She seemed hesitant… But Kael knew he was on the right track. Just one final push, and—

"YOUNG MASTER KAEL!!"

A sudden cry shattered the enchanting atmosphere.

Kael flinched, and the young woman took a step back. He slowly turned to see a fully armored knight running toward them, visibly out of breath.

"What now?" Kael groaned, trying not to lose his charm.

The knight came to a sudden halt, straightening himself to catch his breath before solemnly announcing:

"Your fiancée has arrived."

A deadly silence fell over the garden.

Kael felt his brain short-circuit.

"My… WHAT?!"

The young woman in front of him took another step back, her gaze turning cold.

"Young master Kael, you're flirting with me while already being engaged?" she asked in an icy tone.

"Wait, wait, this is a misunderstanding! I'm not— I mean, I didn't even know—"

But it was too late. She shot him a murderous glare before turning on her heels and walking away with cold grace.

Kael watched her leave, his heart in shambles.

"She was two seconds away from falling for me… WHY IS FATE AGAINST ME?!"

He turned to the knight with a dark look.

"And since when am I engaged?!"

The knight shrugged.

"No idea, young master. But the Patriarch arranged this a long time ago. You should prepare yourself… Your fiancée is waiting at the manor's entrance."

A cold shiver ran down Kael's spine.

"I'm cursed… I'm truly cursed."

He let out a deep sigh.

"Well… Let's go meet this mysterious fiancée… But if she turns out to be a tyrant, I'm running for my life."

And so, Kael, the Cursed Monarch, walked toward a new nightmare… His own fiancée.

Kael walked hesitantly toward the entrance of the Draven manor, his heart weighed down by an indescribable dread.

"A fiancée?! Seriously?! Since when do I have a fiancée?! Where's my right to say no in all of this?!"

He nervously ran a hand through his silky white hair and took a deep breath. He had to remain dignified and calm. After all, maybe she was a refined noble, a sweet and beautiful lady who would make his heart race…

"Yeah, and maybe I'll wake up and find out this is all just a dream."

When he finally arrived at the manor's entrance, he noticed a gathering. The servants whispered among themselves, and even a few knights struggled to hide their expressions.

At the center of the circle, a young woman stood, dressed in a striking imperial red gown.

"Alright… Moment of truth."

Kael set his eyes on his so-called fiancée… and felt his soul leave his body.

The 6th Princess of the Empire was NOT beautiful.

She wasn't just plain either.

She was objectively ugly.

Her face was covered in a thick layer of makeup, but it failed to hide her asymmetrical and unflattering features. Her eyebrows were excessively drawn, making her look perpetually surprised. Her lips, painted an overwhelming red, resembled a poorly wiped bloodstain.

But the worst… was her expression.

She radiated an incredible arrogance. Her haughty gaze swept across the surroundings as if everyone owed her a bow.

She looked Kael up and down, a contemptuous smirk curling her lips.

"So, you're my fiancé?" she said in a nasally voice.

Kael felt a shiver of terror run down his spine.

"No… No… This is a nightmare… I refuse to accept this…"

He almost turned around to flee, but the princess stepped toward him.

"Hmm… You're quite handsome." She examined him with thinly veiled desire. "White hair and golden eyes? Not bad, not bad at all… I suppose you're worthy of me, the 6th princess."

Kael forced a smile, but deep inside, his soul was screaming for help.

"NOT AT ALL! YOU LOOK LIKE A VILLAIN FROM A CHILDREN'S STORYBOOK!"

But he couldn't say that outright. He had to find a strategy to get rid of her without causing a diplomatic incident.

"Your Highness… This humble servant is unworthy of an imperial jewel like you."

She frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

Kael placed a hand over his chest and took on a dramatic air.

"I am… a cruel man! A terrible man! A heartless beast! I have an awful personality and depraved tastes! I fight, I drink, I dance naked under the full moon!"

The servants gasped in horror.

The princess blinked, confused.

"Uh…"

But Kael continued, turning up his acting even more.

"You deserve a noble, refined, gentle man… and I am a barbarian! I only bathe once a week! I put sugar on my pasta! I strangle stuffed animals in my sleep! YOU CAN'T MARRY ME!"

The knights exchanged puzzled looks.

The princess crossed her arms.

"Do you think you can scare me with such nonsense?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "I'm a princess. I can tame you."

Kael choked on his own saliva.

"T-Tame?!"

She smiled, satisfied.

"It's decided! The wedding will take place in a month."

Kael felt the ground vanish beneath his feet.

"WHAT?! WHY ISN'T THIS WORKING?!"

He tried to step back, but she grabbed his arm firmly.

"You are mine, Kael Draven. Accept your fate."

Kael cast a desperate look at the knights.

None of them moved.

"TRAITORS! DO SOMETHING!"

But no one dared oppose the princess.

Kael felt a deep despair consume him.

He was trapped.

Unless he came up with an evil plan, he would end up married to an arrogant, spoiled, and… ugly woman.

So, he did what any sane man would do in this situation.

He looked up at the sky and whispered:

"Oh, gods, if you exist… send me a miracle… or an assassination."

And so, Kael Draven, the Cursed Monarch, found himself in a fate worse than death.

Kael had never believed in miracles.

But at that precise moment, as he desperately prayed to escape his forced marriage with the 6th princess, a chill ran down his spine.

As if in response to his prayers, a golden window appeared before him.

[System Alert!]

[You are in a dangerous situation.]

[Mission: Survive against the assassins.]

"Excuse me?!"

Before he could even react, dark figures leaped from the shadows like demons rising from he

"ASSASSINS!" a knight shouted.

The servants screamed in horror and scattered in all directions.

The Draven family knights, however, did not hesitate for a second. Two assassins were cut down instantly by sacred swords before they could even lift their weapons.

But that was when everything went wrong.

Before Kael even understood what was happening, something violently grabbed him from behind.

"Oh no, no, no— AAAAAHHHH!"

His body was yanked backward at terrifying speed, and the last thing he saw before darkness consumed him was the princess reaching out for him.

"KAEL! MY FUTURE HUSBAND!!"

Kael shuddered in horror.

"GOOD! GOOD RIDDANCE!"

And then… everything went black.

When Kael opened his eyes again, he realized three very important things.

He was alive. (Which was already good.)

He was tied to a chair. (Less good.)

The 6th princess was nowhere to be seen. (A BLESSING!)

"Thank you, gods…" he murmured sincerely.

"Excuse me?"

A deep and menacing voice interrupted his moment of gratitude.

Before him, a dozen hooded assassins stared at him intently. Their leader stepped forward, crossing his arms.

"You seem awfully calm for a man who just got kidnapped."

Kael shrugged.

"Honestly? You just saved me from a forced marriage with a woman who would make a dragon flee. If I were you, I'd be getting ready to receive a reward instead of playing the bad guy."

The assassins exchanged confused glances.

One of them whispered to his neighbor,

"Huh? Shouldn't he be panicking?"

The leader sighed and pulled a dagger from his belt.

"Enough talk. Listen closely, Kael Draven. We were paid to kill you. But before that, we need some answers."

Kael blinked.

"Kill me? You're serious?" He looked at the assassins and let out a nervous laugh. "Guys, let's be reasonable. Do you really think that's a good idea?"

One of the assassins raised an eyebrow.

"And why wouldn't it be?"

Kael flashed an innocent, bright smile.

"Because you just kidnapped the heir of House Draven."

A heavy silence fell over the room.

Kael saw the assassins freeze and exchange worried looks.

"You know… that family of ultra-powerful holy knights?" He took on a thoughtful tone. "Oh, but wait… You didn't know?"

The assassins swallowed hard.

Kael continued, deliberately exaggerating.

"You're just now realizing that you've angered the most OP people in the kingdom, huh? You know… the ones who hunt demons for fun?"

One of the assassins instinctively took a step back.

"The Draven patriarch…" another murmured.

"Exactly!" Kael exclaimed. "You've heard of him? A ruthless brute! And my sister, oh boy… You don't even want to know what she does to the family's enemies. Not to mention my mother…"

He paused dramatically and lowered his voice.

"She literally cut off a noble's hand just because he mispronounced her name."

The assassins paled.

The leader slammed his fist on the table.

"Enough! Those are just rumors!"

Kael smiled.

"Oh, really? Wanna bet?"

He leaned slightly forward and whispered in an almost friendly tone:

"How many minutes do you think you have before the Draven knights find you?"

The assassins started to panic.

"C-Captain, it's true that we don't have much time before—"

"Shut up!"

Kael's smile widened.

"Say, guys. You know what I would do if I were you?"

"What?" one of the assassins asked, visibly nervous.

"I'd run for my life and let the hostage go before this turns into a bloodbath."

A long silence fell over the room.

The assassins looked at each other.

Then…

"UNTIE HIM, WE'RE GETTING OUT OF HERE!"

Kael was freed in less than five seconds.

The assassins bolted at full speed, leaving Kael alone in the room.

He sighed and stretched.

"Well… that was easier than expected."

A System window popped up before his eyes.

[Mission Complete!]

[You survived the assassins without fighting. Congratulations!]

"See? Brains over brawn, always!"

But at that moment, he heard footsteps approaching at high speed.

"KAEL!!!"

The door exploded open with the force of a powerful kick, revealing an army of enraged knights… and the 6th princess.

Kael felt his soul leave his body for the second time that day.

"Oh no…"

The princess rushed toward him.

"KAEL, MY LOVE, YOU'RE SAFE!"

Kael immediately regretted surviving.