Jedrian entered the bedroom and quietly admired Laurencia’s back as she stood looking out the window.

Unlike before, she looked incredibly seductive in her black dress, through which her bare skin glowed faintly.

Of course, even three years ago—no, from the moment he first met her—he’d thought her beautiful, but back then she hadn’t had this sensual quality.

She’d simply been pure and lovely. Like a flower raised in a greenhouse, she’d been a princess who saw the world through rose-colored glasses, exactly what you’d expect from royalty.

That’s why she’d treated even a mercenary b*stard so well.

That woman had changed.

Her once-sparkling, brilliant eyes now brimmed with venom, and the bright smile that used to beam so warmly had long since died.

Sometimes he missed that smile, but her current appearance wasn’t bad either.

No, it was actually better.

The more poison she harbored, the less he needed to feel pointless guilt.

As long as the source of that venom lived, the one who’d crumble from that poison wouldn’t be him—it would be her.

He let out a quiet laugh and finally made his presence known as he approached her.

Seeing her delicate shoulders flinch, his already aroused lower body swelled with satisfaction.

Jedrian briefly suppressed his rising l*st and asked in an unusually gentle voice.

“What are you looking at so intently?”

No answer came, not even a glance back.

But the man who knew exactly how to get her attention leisurely stood behind her and murmured.

“Are you looking for where His Majesty might be?”

Sure enough, Laurencia whirled around, venom flooding her eyes.

He laughed softly at her reaction, exactly what he’d expected.

“Still so naive—what are you going to do? How can you possibly handle me like this?”

Her tightly pressed lips trembled.

She glared savagely at the man who was once again trying to manipulate her, using her father’s life—the person she loved and respected most in the world—as bait.

Laurencia barely swallowed her rage and asked in a deliberately calm voice.

“Where is Father?”

“Curious?”

He took a step closer.

With nowhere to retreat, she glared murderously at the man who’d closed the distance.

Jedrian’s smile deepened at Laurencia’s fierce expression.

He much preferred her showing emotion like this compared to three years ago, when she’d lain in his arms like a soulless doll.

This makes her worth breaking.

Seeing the woman filled with vitality again brought back memories of the first time he’d held her.

The moment he saw her approach him with a shy face to confess, the dark desire he’d been desperately hiding swept through him like a storm.

There was no reason to hold back anymore.

When she felt the same way he did.

When she said she liked him regardless of status—why hesitate?

So he’d taken her.

No, he’d accepted her.

He’d plucked her innocent flower and branded everything he was onto her.

He’d held her while whispering promises of unwavering loyalty and unchanging affection.

He’d thought only happier days lay ahead.

But…

“The human heart really is fickle, isn’t it?”

At the man’s sudden words, her guarded expression hardened.

When his unbearably cruel hand touched her cheek, Laurencia’s face twisted violently, like filthy sewage had touched her.

“Why make such a show of hating me? When did you say you liked me?”

“That stupid woman died that day. So stop spouting nonsense.”

“Ah… So I’ve been f*cking a corpse then. That day, the next day, and the day His Majesty collapsed.”

“Jedrian!”

As Laurencia’s voice rose, he suddenly threw his head back and laughed even louder.

After cackling for a while, Jedrian swept back his fine silver hair and exhaled deeply.

“Ah… Now it finally feels like a place where people live. Without you, even this splendid imperial palace felt like ruins.”

Laurencia stopped reacting. Knowing he enjoyed it more when her mood soured, she’d still failed to control herself and shown emotion.

She barely suppressed her feelings and composed her expression.

“I’m glad you seem to be enjoying yourself. I think we’ve talked enough, so I’ll be going now.”

“What are you talking about? We’ve barely exchanged greetings.”

“I think we exchanged plenty of greetings earlier. So—”

“Why, trying to go to that slave b*stard?”

He suddenly pulled her waist tight against him, pressing their lower bodies together as his bright red eyes flashed.

Because she wore a dress that revealed her figure, she could feel his beast-like member with shocking clarity.

Laurencia bit down hard on the inside of her mouth, struggling to maintain an expressionless face.

Even knowing it was pointless.

Just like she knew him well, Jedrian knew everything about her, Laurencia.

The man with his brilliant mind and twisted obsession remembered even where every mole was on her lustrous skin.

With her greatest weakness seized, Laurencia had no choice but to watch his mood even while resisting.

Afraid the merciless man might harm her father right before her eyes just to make a point.

“Did you like that b*stard so much? Enough to leave in the middle of asking about His Majesty’s well-being?”

“That’s not… true.”

Her voice deflated.

Because the questioning man’s smile was growing increasingly cruel.

If she twisted his mood any further here, someone would clearly die today, so it was better not to provoke him more.

Reminding herself that she could never beat him emotionally, she deliberately emptied her mind.

She’d sensed what would happen to her the moment his command fell in the reception room.

Perhaps because of that, her already resigned heart quickly accepted the situation.

After all, once dead, her body would be nothing but a lump of meat—there was nothing sad or painful about it being defiled one more time.

Rather, if she could sell her body to watch for an opportunity, if she could see his end, she could do anything.

Laurencia consoled herself over her miserable situation this way.

“Then why say you’re leaving? How long has it been since we met?”

His lower body, swollen even larger than before, subtly rubbed against her.

It felt horrifyingly disgusting, but Laurencia looked up at him with a submissive expression.

Jedrian didn’t like submissive women. Laurencia knew that well.

That was why he’d sent her to another man three years ago.

Sure enough, his brow furrowed.

In her resigned heart, a small spark of hope flickered.

However.

“Don’t you want to see His Majesty?”

Unfortunately, he’d already seen through Laurencia’s intentions.

Her expression instantly turned cold.

Even knowing what he intended with these words, she helplessly wavered whenever her father was mentioned.

Her voice turned icy again.

“If I say I want to see him, will you let me meet him?”

“I’d like to. If you cooperate well.”

After clenching her teeth and slowly releasing them, Laurencia asked haughtily, like a politician at a negotiating table.

“Tell me what you want.”

“You already know.”

She wanted to spit in his grinning face. But she couldn’t miss this chance to possibly see her father.

Jedrian was vile and cruel, but at least he kept his word.

Still, she couldn’t give him what he wanted. That would be handing him the imperial throne with her own hands.

“I can’t decide marriage on my own—”

“Not that.”

Laurencia’s delicate brow furrowed. When he said it wasn’t what she’d expected, she felt momentarily flustered.

In the past, the man who’d revealed his true colors had persistently demanded marriage from her the moment the emperor collapsed from shock at his betrayal.

Day and night when he ravished her body, even during meals, whenever their eyes met he’d coax and cajole her, and when that didn’t work, he’d lose his temper.

But now he said no?

Her mind grew complicated.

He could take her body whenever he wanted. He wouldn’t use the emperor as leverage just to get permission for that.

Not marriage, not her body… then what else could he take from her?

Laurencia couldn’t even ask what it was, gripped by an inexplicable sense of foreboding.

The man who’d been staring at her with a smile suddenly commanded with a coldly hardened face.

“Suck it.”

While she stood dazed, not understanding what he meant, the man stepped back, lifted his chin, and said arrogantly.

“I put other bastards between your legs for you. So you should show some sincerity too. Isn’t it too shameless to still only want to receive?”

Laurencia’s expression slowly hardened with shock.

“You still don’t seem to grasp the situation, but things are different now, Lauren. You’re no longer this empire’s noble princess—you’re just Asram’s former queen consort. Ah, now that you’re back, you’re not even that anymore. Anyway, thanks to that d*mn succession right, you could return on your own, but that’s all you can do. You can’t do anything else.”

She hadn’t anticipated this situation at all. But she had no words to refute him.

Because what he said wasn’t wrong.

“So if you want to be treated well, cooperate. Give me what I want, and then I’ll want to give you what you want.”

That beautiful face—which once made her heart flutter just by looking at it—pressed close to her shock-frozen face.

And he smiled warmly, just like back then.

But his red lips, curved in a long arc, kindly taught her a filthy act she’d never even imagined.

“Take off my pants. Then put it in your mouth and swirl your tongue around it while you suck. Until I fill your mouth with my cum. That’s what I want right now, Lauren.”