Supreme Spouse System.

Chapter 178: Hate Me, Obey Me

Hate Me, Obey Me

The atmosphere grew denser once more. Nova’s voice lowered, soft and guarded. ”So. what do we do with her now?”

Leon tracked the direction of her gaze, the warmth in his face faltering as he looked toward the body of fallen Natasha. He moved one slow step forward, boots crunching over dirt and shattered leaves, his jaw clenching as he examined the fallen woman.

He finally spoke, voice controlled. ”We wake her,” he stated. ”And we get her to assist us.”

Nova raised an eyebrow. ”Assist us?”

”While she’s been acting her part for years— of good woman, obedient servant, king so call trusted secretary, exemplary citizen of this kingdom and other kingdom spy for far too long,” he said, his head moving slightly towards Nova. ”But we both knew that was only an act. A very good one, I’ll grant you. Too good. Now... Let her continue acting her part it. But now, for us.”

He extended, calling out a wave of water with a snap of his wrist. The element materialized in the palm of his hand like a gleaming orb, casting a faint glow in the light around them.

”She knows the palace like the back of her hand,” Leon continued. ”Where the king’s guards are, where the secrets are kept Whatever she was doing prior to this, she’ll continue to do it. but the catch is that now, she does it for us with merely new instructions.”

Nova’s eyes pinched together as the burden of the plan fell into place within her mind. ”So we keep her close.”

”Just that.” Leon’s voice lowered an octave, full of meaning. ”Close enough to observe. Close enough to manipulate.”

He knelt beside Natasha without a sound. His fingers curled, calling forth a slender stream of water that wrapped around his hand like a living snake—shining, sinuous, and accurate.

With a gentle motion, he guided the water toward her face and let it cascade across her skin.

The coolness of water touch jolted her.

Natasha’s body flinched. Her eyes fluttered, then snapped open with a sharp gasp. Instinct drove her to sit up, but Leon pressed a steady hand against her shoulder—firm, yet careful.

”Easy,” he said, voice calm but edged with steel. ”You’re not dead. Not yet.”

Her pupils darted in all directions, struggling to focus. The sting of pain still clung to her limbs like chains. Her gaze swept across the familiar surrounding then caught the flicker of movement—Nova standing a short distance away, arms crossed, watching in silence.

”Where...?” Natasha’s voice cracked as she tried to push herself upright again, blinking rapidly. ”What... what happened?”

Leon’s expression didn’t change. ”Take a breath. You’ll remember.”

Her eyebrows creased. She attempted to follow her mind back—there had been an argument, a flash of light that blinded her—then—

Her mouth opened a fraction. ”I breathed something...”

A tingly, fizzy feeling started to creep across her chest. Cold. Wrong. Fizzy.

Natasha’s hand went up to her collarbone, then fell lower, shaking. Her breathing caught when she touched her sternum—where something weak beat against the skin.

Her face went white.

She pushed in harder. A chill awakening crept into her gaze.

There it was.

A chain—not of metal, not of something solid in the conventional sense—but of something attached to her very essence, curled just next to her heart. Magical. Distorted. Constricting.

”No...” Her whisper fell to barely audible.

Her eyes flew up to Leon, too wide with confusion and terror. ”You... what did you do to me?”

Leon cocked his head, his serene face never changing. ”You’ll see. You’re smart.”

Natasha panted now. Her hands searched her body, looking for other wounds, other evidence—but it all led back to the same intangible anchor, wrapped deep within her core.

Then reality hit her.

Her lips quivered as she stared at him, terror unfurling behind her eyes. ”You... you branded me a slave.”

Leon smiled weakly, a hint of amusement in his face. ”Right.”

Her body froze—frozen in time, perhaps. The gravity of what he spoke, of what she knew inside her, clamped upon her shoulders like chains of iron.

Then her voice broke—dashed, angry. ”I... I gave you everything. I wanted you to be my king. And this is how you repay me?”

Nova’s eyes flashed, but she did not speak.

Natasha rose slowly, unsteady but standing, rage burning in her eyes like a tempest. ”I won’t forget this. I won’t forgive this. You think that seal will keep you safe?”

Leon merely laughed, rising as well. ”I don’t need to be safe from you.”

Her lip curled. ”I’ll kill you for this.”

”You can try,” he said quietly. ”But let’s be realistic—you didn’t stand a chance.”

Her fingers on her sides jerked, but something intangible kept her from giving in. The seal flashed once more, faint but there—holding her will like a leash she hadn’t known was already pulling.

She stared at her hands. Her breathing caught. Then, as if pulled by the weight of it all, she spoke softly, almost incredulous, ”What... what did you do to me...?”

Her lip curled. ”I’ll kill you for this.”

”You may attempt it,” Leon whispered, his voice dripping with cold pity. ”But let’s be realistic—you never stood a chance.”

Her fingers quivered at her sides, magic sparkling to life within her blood. But something intangible, something low in her breast, fought back. The seal thrummed once more—faint but inescapable—encircling her will like a hawser she hadn’t yet known was already constricting.

She glanced down at her shaking hands, her breath coming in short gasps. Her heart pounded—though not from fear, but from confusion, anger, and something much more frightening: powerlessness.

”What...” she trembled, speaking barely above a whisper, ”What did you do to me?”

No one responded for an instant.

Then, fury blazed out of her chest like a dam breaking.

Drawing in a biting breath, she lifted her hand, water erupting in her palm suddenly—her affinity sparking to life. It hissed and spun, hard and quick, cutting towards Leon like an icy dagger.

She never finished the strike.

Halfway through motion, the intangible chain around her heart jerked—hard.

A burst of pain through her chest. Not injury, not physical—but something deeper, soul-deep. Her magic stuttered. The column of water evaporated halfway through the air.

She fell to her knees, screaming, with her hands around her chest as the pain radiated like flames through her body.

”Ah—!!” Her throat cracked, her voice hoarse and rough, the sound ripped from her vocal cords as she folded forward.

Nova instinctively took a step forward, but halted. Her green eyes were lashed cool—unblinking, impassive—as if not even the slightest flick of sympathy traveled through them.

Natasha gasped, trembling, face contorted in pain. Her body shook in spasms, and her eyesight dissolved. Somewhere within her, the chain wrapped itself further, throbbing with a sadistic consciousness.

Then, in a cold voice beside her ear, Leon whispered.

If you ever attempt to raise a hand to me—or my wife—again, that chain will bind tighter.” He dropped beside her; eyes level with hers. ”And the next time, it won’t merely hurt. It’ll break your heart until it shatters.”

She gazed up slowly, her face pale and damp with sweat. Her lips quivered, her body still bent and twisted with lingering pain.

Leon’s tone gentled, nearly mockingly kind. ”So behave. Listen. Obey. And if you’re useful—very useful—I might even let you go someday.”

He smiled, that infuriating, serene smile.

”Maybe.”

Natasha glared at him, her gasp harsh. ”You think... I’d believe anything you say?”

Leon stood up straight, dusting imaginary specks off his sleeve. ”No,” he said brightly. ”I hope you’ll hate me.”

Then he tilted his head, flashing her a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

”But hate doesn’t change your situation, cutie. And honestly, I don’t like killing beautiful women. So let’s not make this unpleasant.”

Natasha’s eyes burned, glistening with fury and helplessness.

She wanted to spit at him. Curse him. But her body remained frozen in place—her magic silent, her pride bleeding.

All she could do was glare, the invisible chains around her heart tightening with every beat—reminding her of the invisible prison she now lived in.

Leon watched her for a long moment, then spoke again, his tone deceptively gentle. ”I’d rather have beautiful women as allies, lovers... even wives,” he said with a small smile. ”Not enemies.”

His voice fell, low but unmistakably deadly. ”So don’t make me make a choice I won’t enjoy.”

Something in the way he spoke made her shiver. Not only because she was afraid—but because he sounded so completely in charge. Like her destiny had already been decided and he was merely letting her in on the terms. And for the first time, she really feared him.

Natasha turned away, teeth clenched.

Leon breathed lightly, eyes dazed. ”Here’s the deal.”.