Chapter 02
Cassielope stared silently at the firmly closed door.
Her teeth gritted on their own at her utterly wretched situation.
Because it had been excessively peaceful, to the point she thought it overly serene.
Cassielope fiercely gripped the pure white blanket lying beside her and looked down at her own body.
Her red hair, always neatly tied up, was softly disheveled over her shoulders, and a negligee made of expensive silk lay over her white body, now covered in faded scars.
Cool air entered through the slightly open window and brushed past her exposed body.
The room where she slept every day felt unfamiliar, especially today.
Unlike the usual cozy scent, a subtle but familiar fragrance pricked the tip of her nose. It was the scent of the man who would soon open that door and enter.
‘Empress…’
A bitter laugh escaped Cassielope’s lips.
If one were to name the woman in this empire who could least become the empress, it would undoubtedly be her.
She had thought their marriage would naturally happen, but she never expected things to turn out like this.
“Lope…”
The man who called her name in a low voice entered the room, his sculpted, muscular arms fully exposed.
A body with resilient flesh, as if incomparable to a woman’s, despite their similar swordsmanship skills.
“Regis.”
A strange atmosphere hovered between Cassielope and Regis.
Though the two, with their skin fully revealed, looked like a couple about to consummate their marriage, her eyes shone sharply.
Cassielope, who had been sitting gently on the bed, saw him fully enter the room and suddenly stood up, starting to approach him.
As always, no emotion showed on his face.
To a degree she couldn’t even dare imagine, enough to make her once affection-filled eyes grow cold and cool.
He didn’t flinch even as the distance between them closed.
His face, with soft lines, contrasted sharply with his body, marked by strong, distinct muscles.
The silver hair lightly swaying on his forehead and his mysteriously blue appearance were captivating enough to make any woman stare entranced.
Having reached right in front of him, she slowly began to slip the strap of her negligee off her shoulder.
At that moment, Regis’s lips, which had been still and rigid, twisted slightly.
Just before her white skin was fully revealed, it was the man’s calloused, rough hand that intercepted hers.
He applied force to prevent her from moving, but careful to control his grip lest it hurt her. A bitter smile formed on Cassielope’s face at his action.
“Why? Isn’t this what you wanted from me?”
“Lope.”
“Ha. It seems our noble Duke Euriel dislikes such vulgar actions. Ah, no. Should I now call you Your Majesty?”
As she addressed the man before her as ‘Your Majesty,’ anger welled up within her unbidden.
Until just yesterday, that title had been meant for her.
Lope glared at Regis with piercing eyes. It was utterly ridiculous that he, who had humiliated her by wanting this, was now stopping her.
“I’m offering my body obediently, yet I don’t understand why you’re stopping me.”
“Don’t say things you don’t mean…!”
Regis’s eyes, speaking with certainty that it couldn’t be true, trembled finely. Her white skin was already fully exposed due to the strap that had slipped below her shoulders.
He hastily averted his gaze and tightened his grip on her wrist. It was a signal to stop, but she, realizing it, had no intention of stopping at all.
“Do as you wish, Regis.”
Contrary to her words, her earlobes were flushed red as if about to burst. Hot air swirled in the room, unlike her ice-cold hands.
“Damn it…”
“I’m merely fulfilling my duties as the Empress. So, please hold me, Your Majesty.”
Her tone, which was no longer that of a childhood friend and fiancée addressing him, but rather one drawing a line as if they were merely a formal couple, made Regis bite his lip.
The eyes that had always shone brilliantly had already lost their vitality.
Her usual spirited demeanor was gone, replaced by a look of having given up on everything, and a sense of despair hovered around her.
Just get angry. Rather, blame me. But knowing his feelings yet turning away from them, she pressed her body closer.
“Since it is what you desired, there can be no going back.”
Gritting his teeth, Regis scooped Lope up and headed straight for the bed. After laying her down on the soft mattress, he climbed on top of her without hesitation.
His large frame blocked the faintly flickering candlelight, so Regis couldn’t properly see her expression.
‘Please push me away, Lope.’
He wished she would push him away, just as she had pointed at each of the nobles earlier.
The position, with his hands planted beside her shoulders as she lay there, was like caging a small bird.
He had opened the cage door wide, hoping it would fly far away, but the little bird, having come to believe the life inside the cage was its own, didn’t even flap its wings.
Lope gazed indifferently at his neatly muscular chest visible through his white robe.
She thought she would be happy. The newlywed life with him and their first night together. She had thought it would be the height of happiness, but she felt empty, as if something was missing.
She had believed she would be happy as if she possessed the whole world if she was with Regis, she had thought he was her everything, but apparently, that wasn’t the case.
The position her father had guarded his entire life. The position he had endured silently for her sake was snatched away in a single day.
He had promised to become a better emperor, to watch over the empire with love…
Silent tears streamed from Lope’s eyes. Though her expression wasn’t visible, Regis, sensing her irregular breathing, realized she was crying and froze in place.
His blue eyes lost focus and trembled slightly. The moment his large hand reached out to wipe the tears from her cheek, soft lips pressed against his.
Lope, her slender arms wrapping around his neck, frantically covered his lips with hers. The kiss was an act meant thoroughly to hide her tears.
She felt Regis’s body flinch from surprise. Noticing his attention was fully directed to her lips, Lope began to provoke him further.
“Lope, wait a moment…”
As if not giving him a chance to speak, she blocked his mouth. A low curse flowed from Regis’s lips through the shallow gap.
Suddenly sitting astride Regis, who had fallen back onto the bed, Lope naturally removed his robe so he wouldn’t notice.
Only when the cool air brushed his back did he realize his body was exposed. He tried hastily to push her away, but the seductive words that followed made him lose the reason he had been barely holding onto.
“Take me, Your Majesty.”
It was too cruel a temptation for him, who was trying his utmost to suppress his desire.
He wanted to push her away heartlessly, but he didn’t. This vexing woman knew too well how to handle him.
His large hand unfastened the easily accessible buttons one by one. Through the gradually opening robe, his cool hand entered and wrapped around her waist.
It felt as if he was holding her firmly lest she fall back. The familiar yet unfamiliar scent of a man pricked the tip of her nose.
Even though he had just finished bathing, the scent that always emanated from him was dizzying. His still slightly damp hair brushed her cheek.
Regis carefully laid her down and pressed his lips below her collarbone. The contact was terribly affectionate, making Lope unknowingly bite the tender flesh inside her mouth.
“Tell me to stop even now.”
“……”
“If we go further from here, there will be no turning back.”
Although the buttons were all undone, the negligee still covered her body.
It was his last remaining patience. But a soft voice came, as if disregarding it.
“I have no right to refuse. Do your duty. Consummate our marriage with me, Your Majesty.”
The amethyst eyes, unseen until now, began to slowly become visible.
The unwavering, steadfast purple eyes couldn’t possibly be so cruel. They held no resentment or anger. Her face, as if merely fulfilling an obligation, was achingly harsh.
“If that is the Empress’s wish. I shall grant it.”
Regis twisted his lips into a grimace. His hands completely removed the negligee.
As if hinting the night was long, only the bright moonlight streamed in faintly through the window.
