Although Philip was a prince, he naturally would not wear any thick, gorgeous formal attire when he was at home.
He simply wore a loose, grey pajama set and sat cross-legged on the bed with no semblance of a refined image.
Behind him, a young girl slept soundly with her back turned to Philip.
As a follower of the Rot God, he naturally would not have any offspring.
And if one reached his age without direct descendants, naturally, suspicions would arise.
Keep in mind, publicly, he didn’t operate under the guise of a "Rot God follower"... but as a "devotee of the Goddess of the Cup."
As a follower of the Goddess of the Cup, a somewhat debauched private life... was also quite normal, wasn’t it?
After all, he wasn’t ugly or old, nor was he overweight. His babyface was not only pleasing to the eye but could even be considered cute. His personality was also endearing, he was a good conversationalist, fond of laughter, and having many young and beautiful mistresses was naturally within expectations.
So it wasn’t that he didn’t have offspring; he simply lacked an official wife and had many illegitimate children.
But no one would expect... that these mistresses were all specifically selected by Philip using Divine Arts and ritualistic abilities as "certain to be unfaithful" amorous individuals.
In other words, all of Philip’s children were, in fact, not his own.
Philip, of course, was aware of this.
——But he didn’t care.
It was even a scenario he had intentionally created, aiming to boost his own advantage as a direct royal descendant, vying for the throne.
The Eldest Princess, considering that marriage might affect her status, influenced by her husband’s position and stance, and thereby losing her natural edge.
As for the fourth prince, he was notoriously laid-back.
Of his children, only Kafney survived, and he had only one wife. In fact... his wife was a Rot God follower, and it was precisely because of this that all their other children had been killed by her own hands.
This was to create an advantage for Philip.
The ostracism Kafney faced among those children was also a result of Philip’s decisions.
The royal relatives and Philip’s illegitimate children naturally formed a circle. It was easy under Philip’s subtle indications for them to ostracize, despise, and target Kafney.
The reason Kafney was spared was only as a precaution for the sacrificial ritual, in case of any eventuality.
Although it appeared he had many descendants... none were of Noah’s bloodline.
Thus, he had to keep a scion of Noah’s bloodline to sacrifice in the ritual afterward.
While Kafney needn’t necessarily be the sacrificial offering, it was just to be safe.
If he really lacked that final sacrifice, he would be in tears.
Because in his upcoming plans, both the Eldest Princess and the fourth prince were to be eliminated first and at the same time—only with the removal of all other heirs would his plans proceed unhindered.
Directly paralyzing all potential enemies capable of retaliation was a must.
That is why his current plan was to lure the hidden enemies out.
The vulnerabilities he now exposed, though seemingly making him a target, were actually a trap. Because even if he were attacked in these areas, it would have no effect on his plans.
Forming an undercover relationship with one of the Crow family heirs was already a taboo. If he pursued a normal line of succession, this would be enough to strip him of his right to inherit or at least position him last in the order of succession.
But he never— from start to finish, considered the possibility of a normal succession.
Because what he sought was not the throne at all.
Philip, of course, knew that the Rot God was not a deity to be trusted. Its power was fragile, its popularity scarce, and its character questionable.
After granting the boon of "the Immortal," reclaiming it would not be so easy—for he was the ritual base of the Rot God.
The Rot God not only dared not abolish his power but even had to protect Philip.
And the deities opposed to the Rot God had even less reason to target him by destroying his ritual... because the Rot God was too weak, and truly no threat at all.
This, in turn, made him quite secure.
He merely wished to complete the Rot God’s deification ritual, sacrifice all his blood relatives, and exchange them for immortality.
——This is thorough and complete immortality.
With senses of touch and taste intact, able to enjoy pleasures like normal people, and also able to experience the joy of sleep, the path to becoming a Transcendent is not blocked. It’s even without the physical decay and slow thinking that come with old age.
Based on the ritual of the Goddess of Cup, he could even achieve eternal life in peak physical condition.
By that time, the throne would be inconsequential.
Or rather, the throne was merely a tool for his enjoyment.
To speak unpleasantly... isn’t becoming a king all about indulging in pleasures?
Does any royal progeny truly compete for the throne with their life and all their efforts "for the prosperity of the nation"?
At least, Philip did not believe in such a possibility.
——It’s all just for the fragrance of power.
And what is power for, if not for pleasure?
To attain perfect pleasure, eternal youth is the most perfect blessing.
How many emperors have sought the perfect eternal youth? It’s right before him, within reach, who could resist such a temptation?
——It just so happens that the previous generation of Noah’s royal lineage has been completely cut off.
His father, the current Henry VIII, is merely a "child of the cup."
Henry VIII has no brothers or sisters at all.
In other words——Philip only needs to sacrifice his few brothers and sisters.
Within his three generations, besides his soon-to-be-dead father, only his brothers and sisters remain.
And he has never had any children of his own.
Every time he was intimate with his lovers, he used the Divine Arts to prevent pregnancy, confident he had left no offspring.
So far, everything had been going smoothly.
As Eugene gradually took over the work of the Crow family, the affair of his secret alliance with "Ferdinand Gerant" was also exposed by him.
Thus, all potential adversaries had basically jumped out.
He just needed to patiently wait until his father’s death and quickly kill the Eldest Princess and the four Princes. Then he would be the first in line of succession.
He could quickly eliminate, imprison, or exile those who opposed him and promote his own people.
Because in the public eye, he was a man with many offspring... Even from this perspective, Kafney, who was young and unpopular because of the pressure of his "bastard children," would not be accepted by other neutral ministers.
Soon, he would be able to grasp the reins of the kingdom.
He just needed to sever the royal lineage and castrate himself after his ascension to the throne, so he could complete the ritual of immortality.
His castration would only mean he couldn’t have children, not that he couldn’t engage in acts between men and women.
This was the perfect prospect——
And recently, he had acquired a powerful subordinate.
"——Mission accomplished, Your Highness."
The delicious goose knocked and entered the room, kneeling on the floor.
Without glancing at the woman lying naked on her back behind Philip, he respectfully bowed his head to Prince Philip.
As he spoke, he handed over a box containing a head.
"As you instructed, I have brought the head of that person."
Philip’s eyes lit up immediately as he took the wooden box.
Upon opening it, he saw a head inside, its face covered in black lines and a vague hint of bony horns on the forehead.
——That was the head of the so-called "Blood Demon," a fallen one.