It hurt enough to bring tears to her eyes, but Laurencia bit down on the inside of her cheek and endured with grim determination.

Meanwhile, the hand that subtly rubbed the peaks protruding through the thin fabric was horrifying.

Jedrian, who had been deliberately stimulating her forcibly hardened n*pples, kneaded the br*ast that filled his hand and whispered.

“Why choose the path of thorns when there’s an easy road? So frustrating.”

“Remove your hand.”

“Then say it now. That you’ll marry me. Then you and I can live happily like before. Wouldn’t it be better to become empress of your precious empire than to marry some b*stard whose face you don’t even know?”

“Not a bad idea—if only it weren’t you.”

At her ruthless rejection, cracks immediately appeared in his arrogant face.

Even knowing her mind wouldn’t change easily, anger surged within him at the sight of her still opposing him.

Jedrian, forcibly suppressing his rage, sarcastically stroked the red hair he’d disheveled with his own hands.

“Still as stubborn as ever.”

He released the br*ast he’d been gripping without hesitation and turned away with a coldly hardened expression.

Then, ascending the imperial throne naturally, like it was his rightful place, he commanded in an utterly cold voice.

“Until your next fiancé is decided, play with whatever gifts they throw your way between your legs. If that’s what you want, I’ll give you as much as you like.”

Though she’d expected it, her heart constricted at the words that he’d send her to another country again.

She wanted to hide somewhere away from his gaze. Still, the reason she’d returned to this h*ll was because she worried about her critically ill father.

“There’s still a chance, Lauren. If you change your mind before your husband is decided, tell me. I’m ready to take you anytime.”

A vile sneer hung on the lips of the man looking down arrogantly from the imperial throne.

Her body trembled with fury and humiliation. Nevertheless, Laurencia kept her back rigidly straight and stared at Jedrian.

“Still, I prepared it so carefully—you should at least accept the gift, shouldn’t you?”

At his persistent urging, she finally turned around.

She knew the man’s intention to corner her by any means necessary, but she had no energy left for more psychological warfare.

Above all, even if she didn’t choose now, Jedrian would drag in another slave and force them into her bedchamber anyway.

In that case, she just wanted to do as he wished and return to her palace.

She approached the black-haired man among the three slaves and commanded in a cold voice.

“I’ll take you as my lover for tonight.”

“…Yes, Your Highness.”

After a brief pause, the man answered reluctantly, bowing his head.

Something about his behavior grated on her nerves, but she soon turned away and looked at Jedrian with an indifferent expression.

For a fleeting moment, she saw the man’s straight brow furrow slightly.

Seeing that, an unnecessary defiance surged within her without her realizing it.

Perhaps because she knew that detestable emotion.

Even so, Laurencia skillfully concealed her expression and greeted him gracefully with perfect composure.

“Well then, I’ll be going now. Rest well.”

Then she stared directly at Jedrian and extended her hand. The rather perceptive slave carefully supported her pure white hand.

As expected, Jedrian’s brow furrowed even more.

Though she’d anticipated it and wasn’t particularly surprised, confirming his twisted emotions again was simply laughable.

Leaving the silent man behind, Laurencia walked with a haughty bearing, escorted by the slave.

However, perhaps because her tension had eased, her fingertips kept trembling.

Suddenly, she felt a firm grip on her hand.

When she paused and looked back, emotionless blue eyes briefly touched hers before focusing forward again.

A strange sense of dissonance washed over her.

He was clearly a slave, yet somehow she had the uncomfortable feeling he wasn’t an ordinary slave.

Just as her steps slowed while watching the suspicious man, her firmly held hand was pulled.

Laurencia frowned faintly, then turned her gaze away, pretending to feel nothing, and headed toward the reception room exit.

Then a slick voice caught her ankle.

“We met after so long, it’s somewhat disappointing to send you off like this. I’ve been feeling lonely sleeping alone anyway—why don’t you keep me company tonight?”

Her body stiffened as she stopped at the door.

Laurencia’s already pale complexion turned even more ashen.

The command fell mercilessly, treating her answer as unimportant.

“Escort the princess respectfully to my chambers. The wine will taste sweet tonight.”

* * *

The woman he’d longed to see had returned to his arms after three years, and she’d become an even more beautiful and alluring woman.

Though he’d sent her off with his own hands to become another man’s wife, it was fine because he’d ensured no one could covet her.

But to dare hold that slave’s hand before his very eyes.

Though he’d driven her to extremes so she had no choice but to comply, his insides churned at how easily she seemed to acquiesce.

He wanted to behead that lowly b*stard right there and ravish her for all to see.

In fact, his lower body had been going wild since Laurencia entered the reception room.

How many nights had he m*sturbated while looking at her portrait?

But when the woman he’d missed so desperately appeared before him, even more beautiful, it was impossibly hard to restrain himself.

Jedrian, gazing at the painting hanging in the corridor, clenched his fist tightly.

Recalling that ecstatic sensation of her filling his hand, his l*st rose higher and higher.

Though her sudden return was disagreeable, now that this moment had arrived, he felt terribly excited.

It didn’t seem bad to fill his dreadfully lonely nights with her for the time being.

He smirked at Laurencia in the painting on the wall, then lowered his gaze to the emperor in the portrait, sitting solemnly while holding his daughter’s hand.

Jedrian’s eyes immediately flashed savagely.

“What do you think, Your Majesty? She came to me of her own accord. Your noble daughter came to me—the trash you tried to use and discard.”

Murderous intent permeated his whispered words. Yet his face, not losing its smile, mocked the emperor’s portrait.

“Are you pleased? But what a shame. You won’t be able to see her for quite a while.”

Jedrian, who’d been giggling with eerie laughter, instantly revealed his fury with a coldly hardened face.

“Just like this Armazé became mine even without those golden eyes, Laurencia was mine from the beginning. If you’d acknowledged that fact, this tragedy wouldn’t have happened… How unfortunate.”

He glared at the emperor in the painting like he wanted to kill him, then gazed again at Laurencia’s face beside him with languid eyes.

His eye corners curved upward in satisfaction. Jedrian, his gaze fixed on her, loosened his neatly tied cravat and tilted his head crookedly.

Then, alternating his gaze between the identical father and daughter, he wrinkled his nose bridge before suddenly pressing the pure white cloth he’d removed from his neck firmly against the painted emperor’s eyes.

“Watch carefully. How I tame your precious daughter. And watch closely how I use her.”

After scratching at the eyes like he’d gouge them out, he soon lost interest and threw the cravat stained with yellow liquid to the floor.

Then he headed unhesitatingly toward Laurencia, who would be waiting for him.

Soon, arriving before his bedroom door, Jedrian patted his own shoulder and asked the chamberlain.

“Lauren?”

“She’s waiting.”

The perceptive aide quickly approached and removed the cloak draped over his shoulders.

“Did she throw a tantrum?”

“She went in quietly.”

Jedrian nodded with a satisfied expression at the chamberlain’s answer, but his eyes instantly turned sharp again.

“That b*stard?”

The aide who’d moved closer lowered his voice.

“We sent him to the princess’s palace for now. We gave him strict orders, so don’t worry too much.”

“Hmm…”

His bright red eyes gazed into space, seemingly contemplating something.

Soon, having made his decision, he commanded decisively.

“Watch him, and if he’s useless, kill him immediately. Well, he’ll probably be useless after tonight anyway.”

“Yes, Lokan.”

As Jedrian nodded, the chamberlain grasped the door handle.

Just before the door opened, he turned his head slightly and issued his final command.

“Tell them the nobles should hold meetings among themselves for the time being. And don’t let anyone in until I come out. Everyone wait outside the palace until then.”

“Yes, Lokan!”

As Jedrian entered through the door, everyone in the palace moved swiftly.

Now in the splendid palace of the Lokan, Armazé’s regent and true power holder, there were only two people: Princess Laurencia, who held succession rights to the throne, and Jedrian.

It was their reunion after a long, long three years.