CHAPTER 839 194.4 - PATH

"You don't have the necessary drive."

The moment the words left his mouth, something inside Lilia snapped.

Her body tensed, her fingers curling into fists. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she asked, her voice lower, colder.

Astron didn't blink. "It means you hesitate."

Lilia's glare sharpened, but he continued before she could interrupt. "You hesitate when it comes to doing things the way Adrian or Selene would. You hesitate when it comes to manipulation, when it comes to using everything at your disposal. You hesitate because, deep down, you don't want to be like them."

His tone remained infuriatingly steady. "And that's why you lost."

Lilia took a step forward before she even realized it, her crimson eyes burning with barely restrained anger.

"Are you saying I lost because I didn't cheat?"

Astron met her burning gaze without flinching, his dark purple eyes steady and unyielding.

"Cheating is when you go against the rules." His voice was calm, matter-of-fact. "But we both know that when it comes to politics, the rules are often written by those who win."

He tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable. "There is no cheating. There is only what is allowed and what is enforced. And that—" his voice dipped, quieter but sharper, "is your fundamental flaw."

Lilia scoffed, her crimson eyes narrowing. "Cheating is cheating. If those in power can't uphold a certain standard, then what is to become of this world?"

Astron nodded slightly, acknowledging her words. "That's a valid point."

Then he exhaled, looking at

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