Shock and Dumbfound

"So, why are you confessing your true identity to me? Is this your way of giving me an ultimatum?" 

Arkhan asked with a wry smile.

Morgan fell silent for a moment, then took a deep breath, and her expression became solemn.

"Arkhan, you are indeed a natural-born king. You possess all the virtues needed to be a king, and even I have to admit that. If my late father had chosen you as the heir, I wouldn't have any objections. We all know that Camelot is facing a great crisis right now, and even I can't find any hope of breaking through this dire situation. But if it's you, you might be able to lead Camelot out of this crisis."

"I, Morgan le Fay Pendragon, as the Crown Princess of Camelot, the ruler of Orkney, and the inheritor of the 'Power of the Island', hereby withdraw from the competition for the throne and pledge my allegiance to you."

Morgan knelt on one knee, bowed her head slightly, and placed her hand on her chest, taking the posture of swearing loyalty.

Arkhan's mouth hung slightly open, and his eyes showed a hint of confusion and shock.

When Morgan confessed her identity, he had considered a thousand possibilities, but he never expected things to develop this way.

Everyone in Camelot knew that this crown princess had always coveted the throne, and she was a very ambitious woman.

Kay had even made a nasty oath—"If she willingly gives up the throne, I'll personally hand my head over to you as a chamber pot."

That was enough to prove how deeply rooted the impression of Morgan was in the hearts of the people.

Arkhan had never really paid much attention to those nobles; he considered their methods to be childish and not worth mentioning.

But dealing with Morgan was a headache for him.

After all, Morgan was also the child of the late king and his sister by blood. Both publicly and privately, he didn't want to have a terrible relationship with her.

From a more practical perspective, if Arkhan wanted to establish the Knights of the Round Table in the future, he couldn't do it without Morgan's support.

Persuading her was indeed a necessary task.

Arkhan had racked his brain and tried various methods, but none had a foolproof guarantee. But he never expected that she would voluntarily give up the throne and pledge allegiance to him.

For a moment, he even doubted if he had some sort of kingly aura in him which caused her to kneel before him.

However, Arkhan quickly dismissed that idea. If he had such an aura, he wouldn't have been stopped by the guards at the city gate of Lucanmont before.

"Things on my end are almost resolved." Morgan stood up, her pale golden eyes fixed on Arkhan. "Now, it's your turn."

"My turn? What?" Arkhan blinked in confusion.

"I once had people investigate your background, but we didn't find any useful clues in the end. I don't know how you managed to pull Caliburn despite Merlin's seals, but I won't pursue these matters anymore." Morgan said calmly. "Once we return to Camelot, I'll find the right moment to announce to everyone that you're actually my younger brother, the Crown Prince who was sent by our father to Merlin for secret training."

Arkhan's eyes widened instantly, and his expression became rather peculiar.

"Don't look so unwilling. I'm doing this for your own good."

Morgan's eyebrows furrowed as she watched his expression.

"I know you have a high reputation right now, and your chances of ascending to the throne are big. But you must not underestimate the loyalty of those ministers and nobles to my late father, especially Ferguson; he's known for his unwavering loyalty to my father. Without this identity, he'd never willingly acknowledge you and give up his power."

"But as long as Merlin and I both confirm it, your status as the king will be firmly established, and this one vulnerability will be eliminated."

Arkhan displayed a subtle expression of contemplation, hesitated for a moment, and nodded.

"I understand."

"I will use all my power to help you secure the throne, but there's one thing you must promise me." Morgan stared at him intently.

After some thought, Arkhan responded, "You can count on me, as long as it's within my capabilities."

Morgan's radiant face suddenly took on a rosy hue, and she took a deep breath before saying:

"I want you to have a baby with me!"

===

"Pfttt—!"

Merlin, who was sitting in the inner hall, suddenly sprayed all the wine he had in his mouth, startling Bedivere next to him.

Bedivere quickly approached and asked, "What's wrong, Lord Merlin? Is there something wrong with this wine?"

"N-No, it's nothing..." Merlin waved his hand and had a bright smile on his face. "This is the best wine I've ever had~!"

===

As Morgan's words fell, Arkhan felt as though countless bolts of lightning had struck him on the head, leaving him dumbfounded.

"I'm willing to acknowledge you as the king because, on one hand, you have the ability, and on the other hand, the current state of Camelot is not optimistic and hopeless, and only you can solve this problem."

Although Morgan tried to suppress her emotions, her voice inevitably trembled.

"But the next king of Camelot, in other words, your successor, must hail from and have the blood of the Pendragon. That's my final line."

Morgan's previous statement had almost scared Arkhan out of his wits, but it wasn't until now, with her complete explanation, that he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Regarding that, you don't need to worry. I've already promised Lily that I'll give the throne back to her once she's mature enough."

"You're going to give up the throne to her?!"

Now it was Morgan's turn to be dumbfounded.

Arkhan nodded without hesitation.

"To be honest, the throne isn't that attractive to me. The reason why I pulled Caliburn, on one hand, it's for some reason that most people might not understand, and on the other, I can't bear to see Lily carrying such a heavy responsibility alone with her current capability. But I've made that promise in front of Lily, Merlin, Kay, and Sir Ector. You can ask any of them."

Morgan was so furious that her whole body trembled, her face turning pale and then red. She pointed her trembling finger at the black-haired man in front of her.

"Arkhan, you idiot!"

Leaving behind those words with gritted teeth, the princess stormed off in anger, her tall figure quickly disappearing into the darkness.

Watching Morgan's retreating figure, Arkhan let out a soft sigh.